Agressive Negotiations
by tixilein2
Summary: Anakin and Padmé never got married. They haven't seen each other in four years. Anakin and Obi-Wan discover Chancellor Palpatine is the Sith Lord. Dooku and Palpatine are dead. The war is over. That's when Anakin and Padmé meet each other again…
1. Chapter 1

_Hi everyone! This is my first Fan Fiction in English. I usually write in French so… don't expect too much here._

_I would like to thank my beta reader, SnipsSkywalker…. Without you I couldn't even consider writing something in English! And she is probably working on this story more than I am in order to fix my grammatical mess._

_This Fiction is the translation of its French version (Négociations Agressives). The French version is complete (13 chapters) and I'm now working on translating it in English!_

_Hopefully the fact that I'm not an English speaker won't trouble you too much while reading. And I hope you will enjoy it!_

**Aggressive Negotiations**

Synopsis: Anakin and Padmé never got married. They haven't seen each other in four years. When Chancellor Palpatine is kidnapped, Anakin and Obi-Wan discover he is the Sith Lord. Dooku and Palpatine are killed during the mission. The war is over, and Grievous is still alive but missing. That's when Anakin and Padmé meet each other again…

**Chapter 1:**

The sun rose slowly over Galactic City, bringing the entire town out of the darkness. In appearance, this morning looked like any other morning. Speeders flew rapidly between the buildings. Millions of beings crossed the lower levels to go to work and live their lives. But today was unlike any other day. Today was the first day of peace since the start of the Clone Wars. The news came late last night. The Chancellor was the Sith Lord and the Jedi discovered his dark deeds. They finally ended the war; a war that had no reason to be. Nobody knew the details of the recent events. The Holonet would broadcast a special report during the day.

Padmé was behind her desk, alone. Bail Organa had recently been elected Chancellor of the Republic and she had to prepare for an important meeting with him. The young senator totally approved his nomination. He had always been a faithful ally and a loyal politician. She was sure he would bring good things to the Republic. This institution was still weakened and needed someone strong to fix it.

The Holonet transmitter on Padmé's desk had been on all morning. She didn't want to miss the most important report the Holonet would ever broadcast.

"_And that is how Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker and his apprentice Ahsoka Tano ended four years of war. Chancellor Palpatine and Count Dooku have been defeated. General Grievous is still missing, but the Jedi are looking for him."_

Padmé came out of her thoughts when she heard that. The reporter seemed happy and excited. Why wouldn't he be? It was of moment of joy for everyone. Sadly, it was also a moment of loneliness for Padmé. Anakin Skywalker. That name made her shiver. Four years ago he gave her his heart and she rejected him. She had been cold and cruel. Last time they saw each other, she gave him no explanation. Those memories broke Padmé's heart.

At that time, a terrible war had just begun. Anakin was important to the Republic. His position as a Jedi gave him great responsibilities. Padmé knew that they could not simply ignore that. The same thing was true about her. She was one of the most fervent opponents to Palpatine's politics. They senate needed her to maintain a certain balance.

"_According to our rumors, Master Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi took care of Count Dooku alone, while Padawan Tano and Knight Skywalker defeated Chancellor Palpatine, also known as Darth Sidious"_

Padmé closed her eyes and sighed. She had always followed Anakin's missions during the war. Every time the Holonet mentioned his name, she was there to listen. He always participated in dangerous missions on exotic planets at the other end of the Galaxy, and she needed to feel close to him. His work involved countless victims. Padmé knew it was very dangerous, and she couldn't stop worry about him.

"_The Jedi Council has also told us that Skywalker has been granted mastery and his apprentice, Ahsoka Tano, has received the title of Jedi Knight."_

Padmé felt a huge feeling of pride. She knew Anakin had dreamt of becoming a Jedi Master since he was a little boy. She wanted to tell him how happy she was for him. She wanted to congratulate him for all the great things he had accomplished. But she was alone and she had lost the right to hold him the day she broke his heart. Somehow, she couldn't stop herself from thinking that she deserved her loneliness.

In these moments of weakness, Padmé could only acknowledge the fact that she was still in love with him. She had hoped that this feeling would vanish with time, but her feelings remained the same.

How many nights had she worked until she was exhausted, just to occupy her time and stop thinking about Anakin? She was a strong and determined woman. Four years ago, she made a terrible decision, but she had thought it was the right one. She had chased her feelings and worked hard to end the war with diplomacy. Today, everything was over. And what did she have left? She had no one in her life.

C-3PO entered Senator Amidala's office, followed by the Chancellor. A big smile crossed his face. Bail Organa was truly satisfied. He had every reason to be. His happiness was endless and illuminated the room. For a moment, he gave peace to Padmé's mind too.

"It's finally over," he declared, as he sat in front of Padmé's desk. "I suppose you have received my message concerning the modifications on the Constitution?"

"I finished reading it this morning," she answered with a smile on her face. "I approve your decision. Be sure that you'll always have my support."

Chancellor Organa slowly nodded, still smiling. He was still not able to believe that the war ended so quickly. Of course, there was still so much to do! Grievous was still alive and they would have to find him and hopefully arrest him. So many systems were still in trouble. The Republic would have to negotiate peace around the Galaxy, but battles had ceased. He sighed with relief and decided it was time to talk about his proposition.

"I still find it hard to believe. The war is over. But I feel there is still much to do."

"Your nomination is the first step to recovery."

Bail Organa didn't know how Padmé felt at that moment. The Republic needed to recover, but her soul needed it even more. Of course, she was happy. But she had much on her mind. Her broken heart didn't allow her to celebrate properly.

"I have to admit I wasn't expecting so much of the Jedi. Their feats exceed all of my hopes. Especially concerning General Skywalker. Nothing would have been possible without him."

Padmé closed her eyes briefly and tried to regain her calm. In the near future, she would hear his name. A lot. She needed to get used to it. She had rejected him. This situation was her fault and now she had to live with it.

"I was delighted to learn of his recent exploits. He is an old friend and I can only rejoice for his success."

"_At least that gives sense to the horrible sacrifice I made four years ago,"_ she consoled herself silently.

"There is something I'd like to ask you," Chancellor Organa said. He seemed strangely nervous. Padmé looked at him in surprise.

"What is it?"

"My election as Chancellor of the Republic gives me the privilege to choose a Vice-Chancellor to second me in my office. I would like you to be that person."

Padmé was speechless. She wasn't expecting such a proposition today! When tempting, it was also a scary challenge.

"Would you accept my offer?"

Bail Organa's voice was full of hope. He had always admired Padmé and her courage. Working with her was always a pleasure and he was sure that she would be a huge help in fixing the Republic and all of its systems.

"I don't know what to say. I always served the Naboo, but I never had such an ambition."

"Do I have to understand that the offer doesn't interest you?"

"No, that's not what I meant. I am just surprised. It's such an honor."

Padmé couldn't deny that the proposition was interesting. She had always served her planet faithfully. Today, the Republic was very fragile and needed people to fortify it. She knew she would be useful to negotiating peace across the Galaxy.

"I would be honored to serve you and the Republic. Helping people in need has always been my priority."

"Excellent decision," he answered, and stood up. His smile was bright and he was obviously very satisfied. The new Chancellor shook her colleague's hand with pride. She seemed happy, but something was on her mind. Padmé was only half listening to him.

"Of course, I want to collaborate with the Jedi," he said with a very serious tone. That declaration captured Padmé's attention again. "They fought for the Republic during the war. They had military titles even if they are not supposed to be warriors. People used to trust them but that faith has been shaken. I think that working together to reestablish peace will allow us to show what the foundation of the Republic should be."

"Sure," she answered. But her voice was not convincing.

Padmé had not worked with Jedi since the beginning of the war. Collaborating with them meant risking seeing Anakin again. She was nervous and couldn't hide it. How she hated not to be able to control her feelings! What was she supposed to say to him after all these years? Telling him she regretted her behavior was definitely not an option. All the scenarios that Padmé could imagine seemed stupid. After what she did to Anakin, seeking pardon was not adequate. Apologizing would never be enough. No one in the Galaxy could forgive what she did to him.

However, Padmé was famous for her calm, and the mask she could wear while dealing with politics. She also had an infinite respect for the Jedi Order. And it wasn't because she was in love with one of them. If she had to work with them (even with one in particular), she would do it. Padmé always did her duty.

"Tonight, the senate will reunite for an extraordinary session. I count on your presence."

"I promised you my support. I won't miss that session."

"Good. Let's hurry then. We have a busy day ahead of us and there is still much to do."

"Much to do?" she asked. She was surprised. Her schedule was almost clear today.

"Of course! The three heroes of the war are coming back to Coruscant. There is a meeting in less than an hour at the senate building. As the new Chancellor I have to be there to welcome them!"

Padmé's heart started to beat really fast. She was terrified but excited at the same time. Those two feelings made her feel confused. She hadn't seen Anakin in four years and they would be reunited in less than a standard hour. She hadn't thought she would see him again so soon. She felt she wasn't ready. But would she ever be ready to speak to him again?

"You're coming?"

"Yes, sure," she answered with a smile that wasn't really enthusiastic. "I'm right behind you."

They left the office and walked to the speeder hangar. During the ride, Padmé couldn't stop thinking about Anakin. She started to breathe slowly and tried to calm down, but quickly realized it was useless. How could she allow herself such weakness? After all, she was a famous politician. She had accomplished many things in her life and was one of the most affluent members of the senate. She loved Anakin and had stopped trying to deny that a long time ago. But those feelings would not destroy her ability to think properly and reduce her to a lovesick teenager. She had never been one.

Padmé decided that she would do what was best for everyone: keep the situation under control and think logically. She could face him and congratulate him for his achievements. She could be happy for him and keep her feelings to herself.

After all, they were old friends. And there was nothing wrong about being happy for a friend's success.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Anakin was quiet as speeder led him to the senate. He found himself unable to realize how everything had changed so quickly. He had everything a Jedi could dream of. The war was over, the Sith had been destroyed, he was now a Jedi Master and his apprentice Ahsoka was now a Knight. Any other Jedi would have been completely satisfied. But not him. He had always been atypical in the Order. The Jedi in himself was pleased, but the man was not. Four years ago, he had been rejected by the woman he loved more than is own existence. Anakin would have traded all of his exploits for Padmé's affection.

Those long years away from her had profoundly changed him. Travelling the Galaxy from one end to the other with a broken heart had made him cynical. Anakin's soul was darker now. He had learned how to live without Padmé, but he had never found a way to stop loving her. Not for a lack of trying.

His former apprentice was talking with Obi-Wan. They were both laughing and seemed very happy. Anakin hadn't seen them so satisfied for a long time. He wanted to join them, but he wasn't in the mood to laugh. He didn't know what they were talking about, but it didn't interest him.

The end of the war made him content but not as much as he had hoped. He had spent so much time fighting. The conflicts had kept him occupied and had helped him to think about something else than Padmé. Now what had he left? If the years to come had to be dedicated to peace and meditation, he seriously feared for his sanity.

"Are you alright?" Ahsoka asked her former Master as she sat next to him. Her eyes were full of concern.

Anakin looked at her and smiled. He didn't like her to worry about him. "I'm fine Snips," he answered and then remembered that she would never let him alone if he couldn't give her some sort of excuse. "I'm just a little tired."

"Tired?" She was not convinced at all.

"Those last few days have not been easy. I simply need to sleep."

"Master… you never sleep. I've never seen you tired. R2 recharges more often than you sleep," her answer was very skeptical. He had not fooled her at all.

"I'm not sure about that Ahsoka. Under this reckless madman, Anakin is actually hiding a sensible and very emotive Jedi," Obi-Wan answered with a smile.

Anakin stared at his former Master with a look of disbelief. He raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms around his chest. "You want to know what the sensible and very emotive Jedi wants to say to you?"

"I'd rather not know," Obi-Wan answered with a smile. His gaze travelled from his friend to the landing platform. " Look, we're almost there!"

Anakin stood up and waited in front of the window. A strange feeling started to invade him. It was not uncomfortable. He hadn't felt this way since… Padmé. Suddenly everything was clear in his mind. She was here. On this landing platform. How was that possible? For four years, she had carefully avoided every meeting he had attended. Why was she here now? Whatever the answer to that question was, Anakin was struggling to keep his calm. He had been separated from her for so long. Seeing her again – today – was unexpected. His heart started beating so fast it was almost painful. Anakin closed his eyes with irritation. He was now a Jedi Master and he had ended a war that had caused millions of deaths. But he couldn't control his heart when he was thinking about a woman who had clearly rejected him years ago.

"_You're pathetic_," he whispered to himself.

The speeder dropped the three Jedi on the platform. Ahsoka and Obi-Wan walked towards the senators first. Anakin remained in the background. That definitely wasn't like him at all.

While walking in the middle of all these politicians, Anakin thought about the situation. What was he supposed to do about Padmé? Ignoring her was juvenile, but he couldn't think of anything to say to her. He was not prepared for this reunion.

Chancellor Organa started talking with the Jedi about his new position. Obi-Wan answered politely. Anakin didn't hear a word of this conversation.

Padmé was there, in front of him. She wasn't moving when their eyes met. This moment seemed to last a very long time. Neither one nor the other knew what to say, so they decided not to ruin the moment.

The proximity was disturbing but shooting at the same time.

A long moment passed before Anakin decided to take the lead. He walked toward Padmé and smile shyly.

"Hi," he whispered.

Padmé's throat felt incredibly tight but she decided to fight her nervousness. It was Anakin after all! "I'm really happy to see you're safe and sound."

Anakin didn't know what to answer. If he told her he spent every minute of every day thinking about her, she would probably find him stupid. So what was he supposed to say? At least she was happy to see him again.

"Senator Amidala!" Ahsoka exclaimed. She walked towards them and smiled at her former Master before talking to the politician in front of him. "It's so nice to finally meet you in person!"

"It's nice to meet you too Ahsoka. I've heard a lot of really good things about you. The Holonet never stops relating your exploits!"

"You know, they exaggerate a lot," she answered with a modesty that Anakin was surprised to discover in his former apprentice.

"Yeah they call you the Hero With No Fear," Padmé said to Anakin with a shy smile on her face.

"Yeah… I prefer to call him the Hero With No Common Sense," Ahsoka answered while looking at Anakin with a little smirk. "It suits him better."

Anakin gave Ahsoka his "I-am-going-to-kill-you" look and shook his head slowly. She wasn't really helping him.

"I have to go, but talking to you was a real pleasure," Ahsoka said before going back to the group of senator.

Padmé looked at Anakin and smiled tenderly at him. "She is adorable. You did an amazing job."

"Thanks," he answered proudly. "She is quite stubborn though. It's not easy everyday."

"And you wonder from whom she got that?" Padmé asked with a smirk. "She was your apprentice after all."

Anakin laughed and shook his head. The discomfort was still there but Ahsoka helped to loosen them a little. He wanted to talk to Padmé about so many things, but didn't know where to start. It was not a good time to do that anyway. This place was inappropriate for a more private exchange.

Suddenly, Anakin started to ask himself if it was necessary to talk about anything. Padmé had been really clear about what she wanted four years ago. He had given her his heart and she had rejected him. Was there anything to add? This encounter was only an exception in their two separated lives.

"I'm really happy to know you're all right Padmé," Anakin said before returning to the group. He kept his eyes on the crowd to avoid her gaze. There was no way he would show her how profoundly wounded he was.

۞

It was early in the morning when Padmé left her apartment. She hadn't slept much anyway. The session that took place at the senate the night before seemed endless. Its purpose was to present her as the new Vice-Chancellor. Of course, not everyone agreed. She had spent hours preparing her speech and had fought to gain those politicians' respect, but she knew it would take long to gain their trust.

Padmé had awakened early for a conference with the Queen of Naboo. They now had to re-elect a new senator.

Chancellor Organa had asked his new committee to reunite after Padmé's conference. They needed to discuss changes in the Constitution and details regarding their security.

Padmé was only half listening. Her thoughts were confused. Her reunion with Anakin had deeply troubled her. She knew he tried to hide it very hard, but he looked so sad and vulnerable. The consequence of her choice had hit her once again. She had rejected him for the greater good, but she had ruined their happiness.

However, a new constant was in the balance: the war was over. Did that change anything? Would he even want to? She had not the answer to that question yet, but realized that it was a new option. She had never denied her love to Anakin. The situation had been confused, but that had never been the case of her heart.

"Tell him to come in," Chancellor Organa said to his young assistant. The lady went to the durasteel door and opened it. She greeted the man who was waiting behind it and invited him to come in.

Obi-Wan Kenobi sat across the table. And Anakin was not there. Padmé knew they were almost inseparable. If he wasn't there today, that's because he had not wanted to come.

He introduced himself to the committee and congratulated Padmé on her new position. She answered politely but wasn't in the mood to celebrate. She had accepted this offer because she knew she could bring good things to the Republic. But she also accepted because she had nothing else in her life. If she retired from her politic career, what would she have left?

Her parents and her sister wanted her to stop working all the time. They hoped that someday she would have a family. But how could she do that when she had _rejected_ the only man she wanted a family with?

"We will work together. People need to trust the Republic again and we are the ones who can make that happen. That is why I asked Master Kenobi to join us for today's session. I want the senate to collaborate with the Jedi more than ever," Chancellor Organa said with conviction.

Padmé looked at her old friend and smiled. There was something warm and reassuring in Obi-Wan Kenobi's presence. His wisdom was shooting her.

"I've asked the Jedi to reprogram our security protocols. All senatorial apartments are safe, but they will be safer with the Jedi's help. General Grievous is still missing and I do not want to take any risks."

"I am going to ask the Council to assign one Jedi per politician. They will collaborate with your security staff. Rest assured that they are not going to disturb you. They will help improve your security and they will do it quickly."

The session didn't last long. The new Chancellor was expected for an interview with Holonet's reporters. After all, he was now one of the most requested men in the galaxy.

"Senator!"

Padmé turned her back before going out of the conference center and found herself face to face with Obi-Wan.

"I'm so sorry Milady," Obi-Wan apologized with a shy voice. "The force of habit, I guess. I should now call you Vice-Chancellor Amidala."

"Or you could just call me Padmé," she suggested with a warm smile. Her friend's shyness was amusing.

"I'd like to talk to you about the Jedi that will be assigned to you. I know Anakin and you are good friends, and I wanted to know if you wanted him assigned to you in priority?"

Padmé sighed gently. The discomfort she had felt when she had seen Anakin on the landing platform was not as strong as her desire to see him again. She knew it wouldn't be easy but she had to talk to him again. They separated years ago because the situation was not suitable for their love. She didn't know what she would tell him but she knew one thing: they had some unfinished business.

"I would be happy to work with him again," she answered with sincerity.

"Very well. Anakin is very busy with the Holonet reporters. They made him a celebrity, which -in my opinion- wasn't such a good thing for the control of his ego," Obi-Wan said with a little smirk. "Anyway, many politicians ask him but I'm sure he will be happy to spend time with you. He has been under a lot of stress recently. It will be a nice change for him."

"_I wouldn't be so sure about that_," Padmé thought. She smiled to her old friend but didn't let him see how relieved she was now that she knew she would see Anakin again.

Their collaboration was a necessity if she wanted to arrange things between them. Padmé didn't know what she would tell him but she was sure of one thing: nothing could ever make her forget Anakin Skywalker.

* * *

Thanks 1 million times to my beta reader, Snips Skywalker! :-D

I hope you're enjoying this fiction. I'm trying to do my best, but english isn't easy to write when it's not your first language!


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Padmé had to wear elaborate dresses all day, so when she found herself at home, she liked to wear simple and comfortable dresses. Selecting that dress was never a big deal, as the only people who would see her were her handmaidens and C-3PO. But today, choosing her gown was taking longer than usual. She was expecting a certain Jedi, and she couldn't help herself: she wanted to look attractive.

"You dark idiot," she soughed, while brushing her hair.

After what she had done to him, she knew that wanting to seduce him was inappropriate. She had lost that right the day she broke his heart.

Padmé came out her room and switched on the lights in the living room. Anakin was already here, leaning against the wall. A smirk was on his face.

"I'm not sure I want to know how you got here without alerting my security."

"You the Naboo are really good astroméchanos builders. Now your security devices… let's just say that's not your strongest asset. "

Padmé moved closer to him and smiled at his observation. How she had missed him! Her strong feelings hit her once again, now that she was alone with him after all these years.

"I hope your mission with me doesn't disturb you."

"Padmé…" Anakin started to answer, but he couldn't find the right words to express his feelings. "It doesn't have to be awkward. We can work together, and I don't want it to be a problem. And I'm very happy to see you again."

"I agree," Padmé answered with a smile. "But I still own you explanations."

"That is not necessary," he answered in a cold tone. That was the only topic that could make him feel uncomfortable. He was very strong and had survived the horrors of the war and the temptation of the Dark Side. But he didn't want to go over Padmé's rejection once again.

"When I told you I loved you, I meant it. But a war had just begun, we were both necessary to the Republic, and I couldn't selfishly walk away from that."

"You already told me that," Anakin answered bitterly.

"Yes, but I never told you how sorry I was that things ended up this way between us. Please believe me, I never wanted to hurt you."

Anakin sighed and shook his head slowly. He couldn't contain a little sarcastic laugh. He was not pleased at all. His pride had been severely damaged when she had rejected him. Now that he found himself facing her again, he didn't know if he should feel anger or fascination.

"You don't believe me," Padmé observed with a certain irritation.

"I'd like to believe you."

"Things were complicated. It was not the right time to follow our feelings, and we both know it."

Anakin nodded slightly, without really approving what Padmé was saying. For him, any moment would have been the right one if he could have spent it with her.

"It's done now, and I can't change what happened. I just want you to know that hurting you was never my intention," Padmé concluded with sadness.

"And now what?"

"What do you mean?"

"You're telling me that you're sorry. But what do you want from me, exactly?"

Padmé had not expected that she would have the choice. She never ceased loving Anakin with all her heart. But was it possible to start all over again?

"I'd like you to be happy," she said for a lack of a better answer.

"You knew what I needed to be happy."

That answer broke Padmé's heart. Of course she had always known. But after all the things she had done to him, was it possible that he still wanted her this way? She found it hard to believe.

"Listen, Padmé. I told you: we don't need to talk about that. It was four years ago, let's just forget it," he said with a firm tone. The topic was obviously not pleasant for him.

Padmé nodded slowly. Everything had been said, and it was useless to let herself succumb to grief. The man she loved was safe and sound. It was already more than what she had dared to dream.

Anakin walked to the other end of the room and inspected the security console. While he was doing it, Padmé started to inspect _him_. He had changed. A lot. He was not the same man she had met four years ago. His hair was longer, and that simple fact was making him incredibly attractive. His gaze was darker but intriguing. A scar crossed his right eye, like evidence of all that he had been through. He was also more imposing. The war was visible everywhere on him.

"Let's talk about your security. The work that has been done by your staff is deplorable, to say the least. It's a miracle nothing happened to you so far."

"That's why you're here," she answered with a beautiful smile. "I trust you completely, change whatever you want."

Anakin opened a holographic map of the apartment and examined it with caution. It was hard to concentrate with Padmé's gaze on him.

"I'm going reprogram your doors' security codes. I think we will also have to install a movement detector in the hallway. I'll probably change a few other details, but we will see all these things tomorrow," Anakin said, before inactivating the security console. He smiled nervously and looked at Padmé.

"I'm sorry I came so late and without warning you first. I was just… impatient to see you again, I guess," he said clumsily. "I'll leave now, I'm sure you have got hundreds of things to do."

"To be honest, no. For the first time in my life, I've got absolutely nothing to do," she said with a smirk. "And it is a nice change."

"That probably doesn't happen to you often."

"Often? You mean never," she sighed. "I resigned my position as a senator and my new duty as the Vice-Chancellor will only take effect next week. I have several days ahead of me to do nothing. Do you realize it's the first time of my life I can say something like that?"

Padmé quickly realized what was she was saying implied. Anakin could hide a smirk and she started to feel embarrassed. Her words strongly sounded like an invitation to seduction, even if she had not meant it this way. But then… she realized that maybe it was actually how she wanted it so sound. She was not ready to let him live and he had noticed it.

Anakin looked at her with a warm smile. Her sudden clumsiness that was so unlike her made him realize that she had not forgot him.

Padmé walked to her balcony and leaned against the barrier. She lost her gaze in the breathtaking view of Coruscant's skyline. Anakin followed her quickly and placed himself next to her. For a moment, neither of them said a word.

"I thank you for what you did," she whispered. Her words came out of the blue, and Anakin didn't know what she was talking about.

"And what I have done, exactly?" he asked with surprise.

"You spent four years fighting for the Republic. If all of this is over now, it is partly thanks to you and your exploits. People were losing hope, but you made them believe again."

_She_ had been losing hope and he had made _her_ believe again. But she avoided saying it that way.

Anakin shook his head sadly. The fights he took part in were frightening and sometimes exciting, but he didn't think they could be considered exploits. He had matured enough to admit that he sometimes was arrogant. But the battlefields had shown him horrors he couldn't be proud of. And this was not an exploit.

"Your plan on Christophsis was brilliant. I would have never thought of destroying the generator from inside the …"

"Wait," he interrupted her with an amused smile on his face. "How do you know that?"

"Ani, everyone knows that! You're on the Holonet every night. And you were not seriously expecting me to let you leave to the other end of the Galaxy without watching you?" she asked with a smirk.

_Ani_. He hadn't heard that nickname in a long time. He could feel chills down his spine. Anakin closed his eyes and sighed to try to calm himself. He had understood a long time ago that he would never forget Padmé. Not for a lack of trying. She had captured his heart before he had fully developed and she would own it forever. He had learned to live without her though. It was awful. But being close to her without touching her was worst.

Padmé watched him silently. He seemed troubled. She understood that their proximity was affecting him. Was it possible that Anakin was still in love with her? She started to believe it again. And he was not trying to hide it anyway. He never had. This observation made her feel a huge relief. For years she had fought her feelings by invoking her duty. Today, the situation was so different. The war was over and they were still profoundly in love. Padmé realized that controlling herself was no longer an option. She would never stop loving him. Who was she to deny him that? He was a Jedi and the Code prohibited that feeling, but all those years of loyal service hadn't given them the right to make just one selfish decision?

Padmé pulled him gently. He was taller and she couldn't face him without holding him against her. She closed her eyes and shyly kissed him. It didn't take long before he started answering to her touch. Anakin held her strongly and kissed her more fiercely.

When they broke the kiss, Padmé didn't let him go. She kept her eyes closed and inhaled the scent of him.

"I'm sorry," she whispered without really meaning it.

"Don't be," Anakin answered with a smirk.

He stared at her with disbelief. They had already been in this situation. Several times. She said she loved him on Geonosis. A few days later, she turned him down and asked him to leave her alone. Everything she had said to him had been cruel, but it hadn't been enough to make him stop loving her. It had made him suspicious though. A dark part of him was full of anger. She had hurt him like no one else had before. Those years away from her had made him bitter.

Anakin needed to think. He couldn't love her without getting rid of his anger.

"I should leave," he whispered with regret. "Ahsoka is waiting for me at the Temple and I promised her I wouldn't be long."

Padmé nodded silently. A solitary tear ran down her cheek. Anakin wiped it delicately and smiled at her. She was even more beautiful than in his memories. He couldn't understand what this woman had done to own him so completely. He just knew she did.

۞

The cool breeze that skimmed through Coruscant was refreshing and shooting. Anakin came back to the Temple late, but wasn't tired. He went directly to the balcony on the upper level of the building. He wasn't surprised to find Ahsoka there. She was lying on a large bench and staring at the stars.

"Having trouble sleeping?" Anakin asked while sitting next to her.

"Our last mission was full of danger and excitation. Of course, I'm happy that the war is over. I'm struggling to find peace with myself," she said shyly. "The situation changing so quickly is… troubling."

"I feel the same way."

"I'm delighted of the situation; I just don't understand how everything changed so fast. We fought for years and a little event can fix everything?"

Anakin couldn't contain his smirk. Ahsoka didn't know how this observation applied to him. Regarding the war, he agreed with her. But regarding his personal life, he was asking himself the same question.

"It's the beauty of politics," he added with irony.

"I guess you're right. But it's senseless. If everything is linked to one person's will, what guarantee do we have that it's not going to happen again?"

"We have no way to know that. The only thing we can hope is that people will behave wisely from now on."

Once again, the paradox between this discussion and Anakin's personal life was troubling. He didn't have any guarantee that Padmé wouldn't turn her back on him again. She had not hesitated last time, and he couldn't understand the reasons she invoked.

Ahsoka thought about this discussion. Her elder master wasn't wrong. Wisdom was their only ally. She turned her gaze from the stars to Anakin. He was a complicated man, and he had fascinated her since the moment she met him. She knew he could be dark and dangerous, but he also had a great heart. He had been hurt by something but he had always refused to talk about it. Tonight he seemed changed, though. Ahsoka felt an emotion that was uncommon to him. Anakin seemed… appeased?

"What about you? You can't sleep?"

"I need to think," he answered honestly, seeing no reason to lie about that.

Ahsoka didn't answer him immediately. She stared at him a little longer and tried to analyse this unusual feeling emanating from him.

Obi-Wan and she were Anakin's closest friends. Obi-Wan showed restraint while questioning Anakin. He respected his private life and never pushed him to talk when he didn't want to. Ahsoka didn't have that decency. She was curious, and had never tried to hide it.

"Vice-Chancellor Amidala and you are old friends, aren't you?" she asked with a tone that was not-so-innocent.

Anakin turned his gaze to his apprentice and stared at her with surprise. He had never talked with her about Padmé before.

"Yeah… I was nine. She was fourteen but she was already Queen of Naboo. Her planet was in trouble so I helped her as I could."

"I see," Ahsoka answered with a tone that betrayed her thoughts. "And then?"

"Then what?" Anakin asked with annoyance.

"Then what happened?" she insisted, with a mix of curiosity and fascination.

Ahsoka immediately deducted that Anakin knew Vice-Chancellor Amidala way better than he wanted to admit it. She was sure that his sudden and unusual feeling of peace was not coming out of the blue. Anakin and Padmé had looked at each other with an intensity that Ahsoka had never witnessed before.

"Where are you going with this, Ahsoka?" he asked with weariness.

She looked at him and smiled happily. She had no need to ask questions anymore. He wasn't fooling anyone.

That woman was important to him.

* * *

_Hey! Thanks to **Snips Skywalker:** the best beta reader in the Galaxy of beta readers!_

_I hope you enjoyed this new chapter... I've got around 45 people on alert subscription but none of you guys gave me reviews... Next time take a few seconds to say Bonjour to me ;-)_

_And to those who do review, thank you! As english is not my language, I appreciate your comments!_

_See you for the next chapter!_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Only a few days had passed since the end of the war. It didn't take long for the official celebrations to be organized. A ball to which every influential politician was invented was taking place in the Celebration Center of Galactic City. This place had not been used in a long time.

Padmé came out of her ship. She was wearing a long dress decorated with small gems. The top was lighter and the bottom darker, which gave the illusion looking at the sky in Naboo, at twilight. Tonight, Padmé decided to have simple hairstyle. Her long curly hair was held by hundreds of durasteel clasps.

The hall of the Celebration Center was already full of people, and she felt suddenly very tired. She wasn't sure she would have the strength to spend the entire evening smiling and talking to them.

While walking along the hall, Padmé couldn't help thinking about Anakin. She had not seen him since the incident on her balcony. Since _she_ kissed him. The irony of the situation made her smile sarcastically. Where did she find the time to make such a big mess of her life?

He came to her apartment to change the security device. But, of course, he had come while she was working at her office so they wouldn't meet. That simple thought annoyed her a lot. What kind of game was he trying to play with her?

Padmé finally found Chancellor Organa's delegation and joined them. If she had to spend the entire evening at this reception, she might as well spend it with people she liked.

Anakin approached the delegation slowly and without a noise. He smiled shyly at Padmé, before the rest of the group assaulted him with questions. He had no need to introduce himself. Since the end of the war, most politicians were eager to be seen with him. However, Anakin intended to spend the evening differently.

"I'm sorry but I've been assigned to the security of the building tonight. I cannot stay any longer," he said, before turning his gaze to Padmé. He discreetly looked to the other end of the room, as if asking her to follow him.

She understood it well, but didn't move for a few minutes. She didn't want to follow him right away: that would have been suspicious. When she felt she couldn't stand there any longer, she excused herself to the politicians and walked to the hall. Large columns bordered the entrance. She quickly noticed that Anakin leaning against one of them. She approached him slowly, and stared at him for a while before talking.

"Where have you been?" she asked, without trying to hide her annoyance. "You haven't talked to me in two days!"

"I'm sorry. I needed to think."

Padmé calmed down instantly. She remembered she had no right to blame him for anything. His behavior seemed childish to her, but she decided she would not complain about it. For once, he had earned the right to be irritating.

"Very well," she answered calmly. "So what came of your thoughts?"

Anakin turned his gaze from Padmé to the ground in one second. This woman had way too much power over him. He wasn't sure it was such a good thing, but he loved her nonetheless. Rejecting her was definitely not an option. However, he had matured since his last mission with her and his pride had been wounded more than he thought could be possible. He wasn't sure he could handle that kind of pain once again.

On the other hand, he wasn't sure he wanted to think about it either. He didn't want to be logical. Being rational had never been his type anyway. All he knew was that he had spent two days away from Padmé and that he had missed her. A lot.

He knew he wouldn't give her his trust easily, but as Padmé stood in front him, he didn't know what to say. She was staring at him with apprehension, waiting for a reaction on his side.

Anakin turned quickly to her and held her firmly before kissing her with a fervor he had never shown before. She didn't try to stop him and held him in return, while smiling with relief.

"Anakin, I…" Padmé tried to talk, but he cut her with one finger on her lips.

"Padmé, please... Shut up," he asked with a smirk and resumed his assault on her lips.

She was not used to hear people saying that to her, but she smiled, knowing that he didn't mean it in a bad way. Anakin wasn't controlling himself anymore. She could feel his love and his anger. She didn't know which one was stronger at the moment but didn't care.

After what seemed entirely too short, Anakin and Padmé broke their kiss and held each other for a while, without saying a word. The feeling of not controlling anything felt incredibly liberating.

Anakin sighed and kissed Padmé's neck lightly. He raised his gaze and looked at her in the eyes. He was feared around the galaxy and his ego was quite famous too. The Jedi in him couldn't understand why he was forgiving Padmé so easily. But the man he was couldn't care less about it. His mixed feelings were not ruining his pleasure; on the contrary, it seemed to fuel his passion.

"Chancellor Organa is going to give his first public speech," Padmé murmured against Anakin's chest. "I should go back," she added before letting go of him. "Will you come tonight? I can leave right after his appearance and go back home."

Anakin shook his head slowly.

"I've waited years for you. I don't really feel like waiting any longer."

"It will only be a few hours," Padmé defended herself. She took Anakin's hand and looked at him with suspicion. He had something on his mind.

"Come with me," he asked with an excited smile on his face. "Just for a few days. We will be back so quickly you won't even miss your precious senate!"

"What, _now_?" she asked with surprise. "I cannot leave now, you know that! I've just been elected Vice-Chancellor of the Republic. And what would people think of you and me disappearing at the exact same time?"

"Does it hurt?"

Padmé looked at Anakin with disbelief. She didn't understand what he was talking about.

"What do you mean?"

"You think so much, all the time! It looks painful."

Padmé slapped his chest lightly and laughed at his observation. He wasn't entirely wrong after all. Her job as a politician had caused her many headaches. So in a way, yes, thinking that much could be painful.

She came closer and rested on him for a while. His proposal was very tempting.

"I'll wait for you on the roof. My ship is there and ready to go."

"But I…"

Anakin kissed Padmé's lips lightly and turned his back. He left the hall quickly without giving her a chance to argue anymore. He didn't know if she would follow him or not but he hoped so.

Force, he really hoped she would.

Anakin lay on his ship and looked at the stars. It had only been a few minutes since he left Padmé, but he already felt the apprehension of her decision. If she decided to come with him and leave everything behind even if it was just for a few days, he knew they would have a chance to fix what was broken in them.

He tried to calm himself and started to breathe slowly. The fresh air of Coruscant's nights always had the power to sooth him. He was born on a very hot planet and preferred warm to cold temperatures, but when it came to calming down, a fresh breeze was always appreciated.

"Do you think you'll see them all one day?" Padmé asked, while walking slowly in Anakin's direction.

He suddenly came out of his thoughts. He usually felt when someone was approaching him, especially if it was someone as important to him as Padmé. But tonight, the mix of stress and strong emotions seemed to have blocked his ability to use the Force efficiently.

"I mean the stars," Padmé added, thinking that Anakin had not understood her question.

"I hope so," he answered with a cute smile.

Padmé climbed on the ship and lay against him. Anakin took her in his arms and they both looked at the starry sky without adding a word for a moment. He had thought she would join him but holding her was nevertheless a relief.

"Where are we going?" she asked, while playing distractedly with her curly hair.

"I don't know," Anakin answered without taking his gaze from the sky. "Would you prefer a cold planet, or somewhere warm?"

"Somewhere not too far away from Coruscant. So if I'm needed here, I could come back quickly," she answered, and regretted it instantly. She knew it was neither romantic nor thrilling. But it was honest.

"How is that possible that someone as small as you can be so annoying?" he answered, after sighing loudly.

Padmé smiled at this comment. Once again, he wasn't wrong about her. She was good at being honest, but a little more spontaneity couldn't do her any harm.

"You like me this way," Padme commented. She kissed his neck and rested there for a moment. "So I think you actually enjoy being annoyed by people."

"It is true that I am easy to irritate," he answered, without trying to contain a loud laugh. "But I wouldn't say that I enjoy it! As for _liking_ you, I can honestly say that this is quite an understatement!" he added with a loving smile.

Padmé turned to stand on her forearms and looked at Anakin with a smirk. She had missed those moments where she could be herself and laugh freely. He allowed her to be spontaneous, and it was a releasing feeling. He was younger and impulsive but this was precisely what she loved about him.

"On second thought, maybe you're right," he added after a moment of silence. "I spend most of my time with Obi-Wan, who is probably one of the most annoying person in the Galaxy… and I decided to take Ahsoka as my apprentice, so you're right, I must like being annoyed by people around me."

Padmé laughed at this comment. She knew they were joking about insignificant topics because they wanted to avoid talking about their problems. But it felt so good and she couldn't help herself but to let go, even if it was just for one night.

"Believe me, if Obi-Wan is the most annoying person in the Galaxy, Ahsoka is the second one and she is seriously competing for that first place!"

"And where do you stand on that scale?" Padmé asked playfully.

"I'm not on it," Anakin answered with a teasing smile. "I'm a very pleasant being."

Padmé didn't find the words to answer to that comment. Living her speechless was something only a few people in the galaxy were able to boast about. Anakin was definitely one of them.

Anakin and Padmé lay silent once again. They both realized that those moments of simplicity were what they had missed the most. Having someone to talk to felt really good.

"Should we go now?" Anakin asked. He stood up and gave his left hand to Padmé to help her rise.

"Yes," she answered with a joyful smile. She followed Anakin in the small cockpit of the ship. It was designed for a few people, but the place wasn't really big. She sat next to him and watched while he prepared the ship to take-off.

"I need to stop at my apartment first," she said with concern. "And I don't know what to pack. Where are we going?"

"We don't have time to stop at your apartment. We're already late and, knowing you, we will only have a few days of quietness. As for where we're going… well consider that a surprise," he added with a smirk.

"You're kidding, right?" Padmé asked with exasperation. "You've seen my dress? I can't travel like that!"

"You'll change when we'll get there."

"And where is _there_, exactly?"

"Again. Stop asking questions. You'll see."

"I need to leave a message to my staff and tell them I'm leaving. I don't want to contact them from a random Jedi ship!"

"A random what?" Anakin asked with astonishment. "First of all, this is not a random ship. It is not even a Jedi ship actually. Ahsoka and I found it during a mission and fixed it. And you're not going to contact your staff. We're leaving now. You agreed."

Padmé stared at Anakin with a rage that she didn't want to hide. She agreed to leave Coruscant for a few days with him, but she had never said that she would disappear without saying any word. This behavior was so childish. However, she couldn't fight this feeling of excitement that was building inside of her.

"I'm so mad at you right now," was all she could manage to say.

Anakin shrug and sighed quietly.

"You realize you are kidnapping the Vice-Chancellor of the Republic?" she asked with a serious tone.

"Yeah, I do," he answered mildly. "Even if I have to say, kidnapping does sound a little harsh to me. You don't seem to disagree completely."

"And what make you think that?"

"You're still holding my hand," Anakin answered with a loving smile.

Padmé looked at their hands and noticed that she was indeed holding him. She had not even realized it.

She tried to keep her gaze as dark as she could, but she knew she wasn't that mad at him. He was right, and they deserved it. But her pride would never allow her to agree with him so easily!

* * *

Sorry it took long to have the 4th chapter! I was very busy and then my super beta reader was very busy. It won't take that long for the next ones.

I really appreciated your reviews! It's the first time I write in english and it's nice to know what you think about it.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

The war was over but clones were still scattered all around the Galaxy. The organization to repatriate all of them would be long and complicated. The soldiers were all clones; they had no home planet or family. Padmé couldn't help herself: she felt sad for all those humans who had been created to serve a cause that no longer existed.

Suddenly, she remembered that they all knew her face. She had appeared in many public speeches during the war and they had probably heard of her being elected Vice-Chancellor of the Republic. How could she and Anakin disappear without being found with all those people who knew them?

"How long until we arrive?" Padmé asked. She wasn't trying to hide the anxiety in her voice anymore.

"Relax. Trust me. We'll be there soon."

Anakin's answer was devoid of any stress. He turned to her and took her hand in his.

"What if people recognize us? I don't see anything that would explain us, a politician and a Jedi, being together on holiday," Padmé fretted, unable to soothe her nerves.

"You really believe I hadn't thought about that? Don't worry, no one will know that you were with me."

Padmé sighed dropped back in her seat. She turned to look at Anakin, who was concentrated again on piloting the ship. She smiled discreetly at him and shook her head in disbelief. He could annoy her more than anyone, but being kidnapped by him was thrilling in a way that Padmé could not fully comprehend.

•

Ahsoka was in the middle of the Jedi Council Chamber, surrounded by some of the wisest beings of the Galaxy. It was early in the morning but she already knew that it would be a bad day. The council was not supposed to reconvene this morning, but they all had received an emergency notice. Anakin Skywalker was unreachable and newly elected Vice-Chancellor Amidala had disappeared.

Funny coincidence.

"Any news on your side, Ahsoka?" Mace Windu asked without really hoping for an affirmative answer.

"Nothing," she answered as she shook her head slowly, obviously angry. "He didn't contact me. Last time I saw him, he was in the Celebration building. Everything seemed all right, but he had the look."

"The look?" Obi-Wan asked with amusement. He knew exactly what she was talking about.

"Yeah, there is a look. You know, when he is about to do something very stupid."

Ahsoka knew that something was going on. He really liked that politician and Ahsoka was absolutely sure that she was the reason he disappeared. She also knew that he was probably breaking some of the most important rules of the Jedi Order but she decided that she wouldn't try to cover for him on this one. If he wanted help from her, he knew that he could have just asked.

They had spent so much time together during the past few years. He had practically raised her. It was the first time she was left alone since they met and she felt betrayed.

"Don't you think there is a possibility that something happened to the Vice-Chancellor?" Obi-Wan asked, even if he already knew the answer to that question.

Ahsoka raised an eyebrow and look at him with skepticism. Yeah, sure… Something happened to her. She has been kidnapped by an enamored Jedi!

"Maybe," she answered bitterly.

"Very interesting the situation is," Yoda noted. "Find them, we must."

"The people are still afraid. They have lost faith in the Republic. If they learn that the Vice-Chancellor Amidala disappeared, it could cause panic. We need to keep this information private. I will ask Chancellor Organa to cover the story until we can locate her," Mace stated with a very serious tone.

"Ahsoka and I know Anakin better than anybody. We'll find him. I'm sure there is an explanation," Obi-Wan told the Council.

Ahsoka bowed and turned to take her leave. She walked directly to the Temple's control room. Maybe she could figure out something if she could have access to Anakin's travel records.

While walking to undertake her research, she couldn't help but to worry. She was very angry that he left the planet like that. Even if she was not his apprentice anymore and of course she didn't need to have him near her all the time, but she had spent a very important part of her life with him. She didn't need him to explain and knew that he had feelings for Padmé Amidala. She also understood that this kind of attachment was forbidden for Jedi.

Ahsoka was afraid that he would be expelled from the Order or that he simply would decide not to come back. In both cases, the apprehension was mixed with a strong feeling of angriness. Why didn't he trust her enough to contact her?

•

The small planet was still far away, but Padmé could see that it was mainly green and yellow. She was sure that she had never been there before. The ship landed close to a forest. The trees were small and exotic. Colorful birds were perched on them, and the temperature was warm and pleasant.

Padmé walked down the ramp of the ship and looked around her. A small village was within sight. It didn't seem very technologically advanced; the houses were small and appeared to be made of wood. Everything seemed simple and so calm.

"Where are we?" Padmé asked with amazement. The apprehension in her tone had completely disappeared when she saw the planet.

"Fourth moon of Mirriette. Mostly inhabited by merchants and farmers. This is where I had my last mission before the end of the war."

Padmé walked further to look at the landscape. The grass was very high and she could feel the tip of the blades with her fingers. She saw big mountains bordering the village. The peaks were still full of snow. She couldn't deny that this place was breath taking.

"It's beautiful," she murmured without taking her eyes off of the landscape.

Padmé was so absorbed by the beauty of the place that she forgot about her long dress and tripped. Anakin was there in a second to catch her. Her ceremonial dress was definitely not adapted to this destination.

"We'll find you new clothes," he said with a smile.

Anakin took Padmé's hand to help her. She held the bottom of her dress in her other hand and walked next to him to the village. The houses here were modest and didn't reach more than two or three floors. The streets were colorful and flowers decorated all the balconies. Children played in front of their house. It truly looked like Naboo.

Padmé came out of a small shop. She was carrying her long ceremonial dress in her arms and was wearing a much simpler gown. The dress was long and brown, made of a thinner, coarser fabric. She had also removed the clips from her head and had left her curly hair free.

"You're so beautiful," Anakin said with amazement.

"You're not bad either," she answered with a smirk.

Padmé was used to be complimented. Politics was mainly about that, after all. Many men had tried to catch her attention. They had never succeeded because none of those compliments had ever been as honest and pure as Anakin's declaration. They were interested in themselves, never selfless. Each time Anakin said something to her, she knew it came from his heart. He always said what he thought, nothing more and nothing less. And she loved that about him.

They walked to their destination and Anakin tried to take Padmé's hand in his, but she hesitated. They were in public.

"Don't worry, no one will recognize us here. Holonet doesn't exist here. This planet didn't take part to the war. It's only just before the end that the Separatists tried to invade this place. I came here with Obi-Wan, but we were in the capital, on the other side of the planet. I can assure you that those people have never seen us before."

Padmé nodded slowly and took Anakin's hand in hers. They walked together until a small street that led out of the village. A small house was at the end of the road. A lake circled the property.

"This house belongs to Obi-Wan. Well, it doesn't really belong to him, as Jedi are not supposed to own anything, but I think my old Master made quite an impression on Ahana, the governor of this planet. She insisted to offer this house to him so he could come back to visit her."

Padmé couldn't contain a loud laugh. Obi-Wan was not his type at all. He was too conservative and well behaved for her, but she could understand that women found him attractive.

Padmé followed Anakin inside the house. It was as beautiful as outside. The windows were big and left the light of sun illuminate the living room. A large terrace was overhanging the lake. Padmé walked through the room and opened the door. The place felt calm and shooting. There certainly were worse destinations to be kidnapped by a Jedi.

Anakin followed her onto the terrace. Everything went so fast since he met her again. He hadn't expected her to be so enterprising and he had certainly not expected her to kiss him first. It seemed that their roles had reversed. But four years had passed since their last encounter and she had broken his heart. Anakin already knew that he would forgive her for anything. He just didn't know how to react.

"The kiss you gave me the other… what am I supposed to understand?" he asked clumsily.

Padmé bit her lip. Her shyness was obvious even if she did her best to hide it. It was time for her to fix the situation.

"I missed you," she murmured and turned her gaze to Anakin. "I was so worried about you."

Anakin sighed and crossed his arms. _Bad answer_, he thought while shaking his face slowly in disbelief.

"That's it?" he asked while raising an eyebrow.

"I spent nights watching the Holonet to know if you were all right. I always tried to know where you were and what you were doing."

"You could have contacted me," he answered with a hint of irritation.

"To say what?" she exclaimed, slightly distraught. "Anakin, I miss you, please come back to me? I am miserable without you. I can't live without you. I changed my mind, come back to me?"

"Well… yes," he answered, a light smile on his face. "You could have done just that."

"What can I say? It is done now and I can't change it."

"I haven't seen you in years and you jump on me the day I come back, I'm simply trying to understand," he teased her.

"Jump on you? I didn't jump on you!" she defended herself.

"Yeah? So how do you call that?" he asked with a beautiful smile.

"Let's say I spent my life debating. I was simply trying a new strategy," she answered with a smirk.

They were teasing each other, but they both knew that what they said was true. Padmé was tired of talking and being rational. Anakin had taught her that, sometimes, action was the better path. On the other hand, Anakin was afraid to jump into action, probably for one of the first time of his life.

"I call that aggressive negotiations," she added while trying to contain a laugh.

This remark made Anakin laugh. He reminded this expression he used to explain his penchant for negotiation with his lightsaber. He came closer to Padmé and stared at her. The pain she caused him went beyond words. So how could he still love her so much?

"I missed you too," he said.

Padmé came even closer. He held her and kissed the top of her head.

"Just ask me whatever you want to know," she said without moving away from him.

Anakin hesitated for an instant. He had so many questions. They both had changed and getting back together after such a brutal separation was crazy. But again, he had never been a very rational person.

"What happened after Geonosis?"

"I told you I loved you and I meant it. I still do. But I thought we were going to die. We survived and I was terrified. How was I supposed to react? I knew you would be away most of the time during the war. I would have never seen you."

"So you didn't love me enough to handle this situation?"

"How can you say something so stupid?" Padmé asked with a dark gaze. His observation was infuriating her. "I wanted you to come back alive. I could not distract you. And you had always dreamed of becoming a Jedi. I couldn't selfishly take that dream away from you."

Anakin left go of Padmé and looked at the landscape. He was thoughtful. He didn't agree, but her argument wasn't entirely wrong. He thought carefully about it before answering.

"You were always on my mind; from the morning to the night, and in my dreams; not to mention my nightmares most of the time! We could have hidden our relationship."

Padmé closed her eyes for a moment and sighed, betraying her inner pain. She knew that this discussion was needed but she didn't want to have it.

"Do you really want to discuss the options that we had, but didn't chose?"

"The option that you didn't choose," he corrected with resentment. "You never gave me the choice."

Padmé came closer to him to try to soothe him. She couldn't let him become mad at her. She forcefully took Anakin's hands in hers and looked at him in the eyes. His unbearably blue eyes made her tremble.

"There is no word, in any language you'll find in this Galaxy to express how sorry I am. I wanted the best for you but nothing I can do or say will erase the past. Anakin, I love you with all my heart. I loved you since the day you came into my life and I'll love you until the end, even if you decide to reject me. There is nothing you can do to change that. I know it won't be easy. I don't care if we have to hide. I'll always wait for you to come back to me. Today I am asking you to decide. Do you still want me or not?"

Anakin looked at her and smiled gently. He could feel that talking to him in such an honest way, knowing that she could be rejected, was terrifying her.

"I can't imagine a world where I wouldn't want you," he said with honesty.

Padmé held him so strongly that it surprised him. She was small but capable of much. After a moment, she raised her face to Anakin and looked at him with a smirk.

"We have a problem," she said shyly. Anakin didn't answer and seemed surprised. "You still haven't kissed me," she added.

Anakin laughed at her request. He looked at her with a beautiful smile and bent down a little bit to be at her level. He kissed her, for the first time in years, and that contact made him shiver. He had dreamt of this moment most part of his life. The pain he had felt for so long suddenly felt so far away. Padmé circled his neck with her arms and held him closer. She lost herself in the kiss and moaned softly. That sound made Anakin's heart skip a bit. He couldn't believe he was making her feel that way, but was very pleased nonetheless.

After years of torment, the Jedi finally seemed appeased.

* * *

_Sorry it took long to finish chapter 5! I've been busy, then I had to change of beta reader because My Super Cool Snips Skywalker is now too busy to correct this fan fiction. Next chapter shouldn't take so long._

_So, this time I'd like to thank Vampy Kitten for being my new beta! :D It's really nice to help me! I don't have a beta reader in French but I could never publish without one in English. Merci beaucoup! _

_Reviews mes chéris? ;)_


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

It was early in the morning on Miriette. Sunlight came from behind the snowy mountains and reflected on the lake. Most inhabitants of the moon were waking up and getting ready to work. The people here were not lazy, getting up and starting the day's work, but Padmé and Anakin had decided not to do the same. They were both lying in bed in the biggest bedroom of the house.

The wind rushed through the open window and woke Anakin up. The temperature was usually warm during the day, but the morning could be chilly. He stretched and lazily raised his hand. With the help of the Force, he closed the window.

His movements disturbed Padmé who sighed and turned herself in bed. Anakin held her, gave her a light kiss and closed his eyes. He felt calmer than he had ever felt in his entire life. Padmé also seemed appeased. Her face was pure and beautiful. He remembered the time he asked her if she was an angel. That memory embarrassed him a little bit. It was very naïve of him, but he was sure Padmé found that adorable. They had known each other for so long; it felt like an eternity and yet it was only the beginning.

This morning was a situation they had never experienced before though. They had spent the night together. Their first night together. This memory made Anakin smile with satisfaction. Padmé had never been with another man before. Not like that. She had had the attention of many men but she had never been interested. She had the reputation to be a lonely and cold woman. Many people were not sure she was capable of loving someone else. Last night, Anakin proved them all wrong. As for him, saying that he had had a lot of occasions would be an understatement. But the women he met had all a big imperfection: they were not Padmé.

She woke up only a few minutes later and opened her eyes. A light smile appeared on her face when she noticed that she was already in Anakin's arms. Padmé raised slowly her face and looked at him with happiness.

"Hi," he murmured and started kissing her neck. "Slept well?"

Padmé nodded and rested her head on Anakin's shoulder. She closed her eyes again and didn't say a word for a long moment. The situation was perfect and it seemed almost unrealistic.

"You know that, technically, we are in Obi-Wan's bed," she said with a smirk.

"That's what you are thinking about while lying in bed with me?" Anakin asked with a teasing tone. "I don't really know how I should take that," he added with a smile.

Padmé laughed and slowly rose to rest on her forearms. She looked at Anakin with a more serious face.

"You never touch me with your Durasteel arm," she noticed gloomily.

"It's cold, that wouldn't be nice for you," he responded.

Padmé knew perfectly that it was only an excuse. Comte Dooku had not only injured Anakin physically. He had wounded his self-esteem. His mechanical arm was maybe cold, but it was also a symbol of his failure. If he didn't want to touch her with his right hand, it was for this reason and she knew it.

"You know that the Constitution of the Republic dictate in article 1350 that all prisoners have to be feed on a regular basis."

"And you consider yourself as my prisoner?" Anakin asked with amusement.

"Do I need to remind you that you kidnapped me? I accepted to go somewhere with you, but not to run away without leaving a note to my staff. So yes, technically, I am your prisoner."

Anakin couldn't help but to laugh. She had a way to turn all situations in her advantage that he would probably never fully understand.

"You prisoner is starving," she clarified while rising an eyebrow.

"I got that," he answered while standing up to get dressed. "You're a demanding prisoner," he added and gave her his hand to help her to rise.

"You wanted me, you got me," she winked teasingly.

Obi-Wan was seating at one of the desks of the Jedi Temple Archives. He had spent the last two days trying to locate the Senator of Naboo without success. He had searched the entire Holonet and facial reconnaissance systems but nothing gave him any results. It seemed like Anakin and Padmé had disappeared from the Galaxy.

"Still nothing?" Ahsoka asked.

She came closer and sat next to Obi-Wan. The list on the screen in front of him seemed of no interest.

"Sadly no," he answered without trying to hide his growing apprehension. "How is your mission with Chancellor Organa?"

"It's so calm," she answered and sighed. "Too calm! I would like to do something useful instead. Chancellor Organa's staff doesn't really need me around."

Obi-Wan looked at Ahsoka with a discrete smile. She was so similar to Anakin. Sometimes, it felt like he was talking to him instead of her.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Ahsoka said.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know. Anakin never does that. I don't think he is in trouble but I know that something is going on," she said while shaking her head in disbelief.

It was hard to explain her feeling. She knew that Anakin was fine but she didn't know why he left without saying a word. Ahsoka was still upset about his behavior and the only explanation she had was not something she could discuss freely with Obi-Wan. If Padmé was truly the reason of Anakin's disappearance, it was better left unsaid.

"I know what you mean," Obi-Wan said with a tone that clearly expressed that he had his own theories about the situation.

Miriette was a very quiet and simple place, but Anakin felt like the time had never gone so fast. He had waited his entire life to spend time with Padmé. Now that he had a chance to be with her, it felt like he could never have enough.

They had spent the entire morning walking around the lake. They talked about their time apart. Padmé explained how she had spent her last days as a Senator and Anakin told her about his last mission before the end of the war. They came close to a tree full of small red fruits. Anakin used the Force to make them fly from the branches to Padmé's hands.

Then, they lay down on the grass. Padmé curled against Anakin and arranged the fruits he gave her on her belly. While she was eating, Anakin started playing with her long curly hair.

"How is your gift doing?" he asked.

Padmé knew exactly what he was talking about. Before they separate, he gave her the droid he built when he was a child. In exchange, she gave him R2-D2. He had no need for a protocol droid and she didn't need an astromech droid. It was a logical exchange, but to them the droids represented much more than that. It gave them company when they couldn't be together.

"He's fine! You gave him a strong personality," she said with a smile. "He asks about R2 all the time. I think he misses him."

"R2 is great. He was all I had left of you, so I took good care of him."

This gift was really precious to Anakin. He was not simply an astromech droid but also a friend and a reminder of the woman he loved.

"I lost him once," he said shyly. "But then I found him!" he added to defend himself.

"Some people travel all around the Galaxy to find astromech droids from Naboo. They are the best quality you'll ever find and… you lost one?" she asked with shock.

"But I found him!" he said with a smile. "It was during a mission. I had to evacuate after the destruction of my ship. R2 wasn't there anymore. Everybody wanted me to give up on him, but I couldn't. It was your gift and I had nothing else that connected me to you."

Padmé looked at him with a growing affection. His story was touching. She found it adorable. He was truly attached to everything that reminded him of her. It was a great proof of love.

Padmé raised her head and kissed him lightly before picking a fruit on her belly. When she tried to pick another one, the fruit moved. She tried again, but the same thing happened. It only took an instant for her to understand that Anakin was making fun of her.

"Anakin! Coming from a padawan I could understand. But you're a Jedi Master now, you don't play with the Force to make fun of people!" she said with a smirk.

"You wanted me, you got me," he said, repeating the exact same words she said in the morning.

The air was starting to be colder. The sun slowly disappeared behind the mountains and a few stars were shining in the sky. Anakin was meditating on the terrace, in front of the house. Padmé came closer and held him against her.

"We should go back," she said.

Anakin opened his eyes and looked at her with sadness. He knew perfectly that when said that, she didn't mean go back inside. She meant go back to Coruscant.

"I know," he replied and held her back.

"We've been here three days! Nobody knows where we are. Think about Obi-Wan and Ahsoka. I'm sure they are worried."

"You never stop thinking about the consequences of you acts," he sighed.

"Someone has to," she replied with a sad smile.

"One more day?" he asked with a voice full of hope.

Padmé nodded and held him a little stronger against her. Her arm went down from his back to his belt. She felt his lightsaber, unfastened it and looked at the weapon he built with amazement.

"May I?" she asked.

Anakin nodded and went behind her back. He held her arm and ignited the lightsaber she was holding.

"I lost many lightsabers," he said with a smile. "But this is the one I kept the longest."

Padmé didn't answer. She was admiring the weapon built by the man she loved and found it amazing. She knew it had saved his life countless times. It allowed him to come back to her alive. For this reason, his lightsaber was the most precious thing in the Galaxy.

"It has a special meaning to me. Which is why I would like you to have it," he said very seriously.

"You can't do that!" she replied with disbelief. "It's yours, I can't accept…"

"I want you to have it," he insisted.

He bent to kiss Padmé. It was a very unusual gift, but that made it even more precious to her.

"There is something I would like to ask you," he said serious again.

"Anything," Padmé said before turning the lightsaber off.

Anakin took Padmé's hands and looked at her with a loving smile. She knew this face very well. He had something in his mind.

"When we will go back to Coruscant, I will have to go on missions again. We will both be busy all the time and it won't be possible to be together often."

"I know that," she said. "I'm not going to change my mind. I know how I feel about you, no matter how long we will have to be apart."

"I know it won't be easy, which is why I would like us to be… more. We could be connected, we could have something that belongs to us only," he said shyly.

"What do you mean?" Padmé asked.

"When I was a kid, being a Jedi was all I wanted. But when I met you, being with you became all I wanted. You are more important to me than anything else in the Galaxy. You remember what I told you the first time I met you?"

"You said I was an angel," she remembered with a smile.

"Yes. I also said you would become my wife one day."

Padmé didn't reply. She was speechless. Was it the kind of connection he was referring to? If this was a proposal, it was probably a very singular one.

"And?" she asked, not able to formulate a complete sentence.

"Padmé, I'll never be able to offer you a normal life. I can't come back home to you every evening and it is possible that we will have to spend the rest of our life hiding a secret but I will love you more than anyone."

Anakin stopped talking for an instant and admired the smile forming on Padmé's lips.

"Will you marry me?" he asked with a trembling voice that didn't sound like him at all.

Padmé pulled him into a tight hug. Her smile didn't leave her face. Anakin was definitely not a conventional person. Naboo's traditions were very important. First of all, Anakin was supposed to ask permission to her family. Most of the time, the proposal itself was organized well in advance! The question was always asked the same way and there were specific conditions for that. Anakin had done none of that. Padmé had not been expecting him to follow any rituals anyway. Their couple wasn't common and their wedding also had to be uncommon. Some women received jewelries. Padmé had received a lightsaber and she wouldn't trade it for anything else.

"Maybe you could… answer?" Anakin asked with apprehension.

Padmé laughed when she realized that she had still not answered. He was adorable to think that her answer could be anything else than yes. It seemed so natural to her that it was strange to see that he was apprehending it.

"Yes," she finally said.

Anakin carried Padmé in his arm and kissed her fervently.

"I don't think you can take my name officially and I don't have a ring for you," he said sadly.

"Yes, but I've got your lightsaber!" she answered proudly. "Who needs a ring when you can have a lightsaber?" she added with a smirk.

Anakin laughed and kissed her again. They didn't notice that the furniture on the terrace were floating in the air. Chairs were slowly dancing around the tables while cushions whirled on themselves.

"Ani, are you making that?" Padmé asked, still pressed against him.

"You'll discover that being married to a Jedi can be surprising," he answered with a smirk.

Married to a Jedi. It was the first she heard those words, but it sounded just right.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Padmé was looking at herself in the mirror. She observed the white dress she bought in the morning. Her wedding dress! When she was a kid, she had always imagined she would have a big wedding on Naboo, with her entire family and all of her friends. She wanted to wear her mother's dress. Instead of that, she was about to secretly marry a Jedi on a distant and mysterious moon of the Miriette system.

Anakin was on the couch next to her. He looked at her and his gaze was full of concern. He could feel conflict in her.

"You know we don't have to do it now," he said gently. "I'm sure I can find a way to get a leave soon. I could join you on Naboo."

Padmé smiled at him. His concern was touching but he had misunderstood the reason of her concerns. She had dreamed of a classic wedding and a simple life. She wanted to have a family someday but what Anakin had to offer was so much better.

"We don't know when we'll be alone again. I don't want to wait," she said.

"I know this is not what you wanted…"

"It's better," she cut.

Padmé sat on his lap and kissed him softly.

"I imagined my wedding when I was a kid, but it doesn't mean everything has to happen this way. I don't care about all of that as long as I am with you."

"Well… you do look good in that dress," he complimented shyly.

Anakin seemed uneasy in certain situations. It made Padmé smile, not because she was making fun of him, but because it reminded her of the little boy she met so long ago. However, in other situations, he could have a very high self-esteem. Maybe even a little bit too high, sometimes. Padmé was honored to be one of the only people in the Galaxy to know his true self. The hero of the Republic could also be vulnerable. Human.

Anakin was staring into the void. He was thinking about what he was about to do. Padmé would be there in a minute and they would be married by the end of the day. Thinking about that made Anakin's heart skip a beat. He had almost lost hope that this day would come.

It was a small wedding but the organization had not been easy. They had found someone who would marry them but this person had to be discreet. Thankfully, Miriette was not part of the Republic and its inhabitants had no interest in scandals and credits. Moreover, Anakin and Padmé were completely unknown here. In all cases, it was better to be careful. Nobody could be aware of their marriage, which is why Anakin used the Force on the man who married them. Just to be sure he would not remember too much.

Padmé came out of the house, wearing her beautiful white dress. It was not common to see Padmé Amidala speechless. It was also very unusual to see her being shy. Yet today she was both and couldn't suppress a timid smile. Anakin didn't need Jedi powers to understand that she was nervous.

They faced each other and the man they had hired to celebrate their wedding started to speak. Anakin couldn't care less about what he was saying. All that mattered to him was that he was about to marry the woman he had loved his entire life.

The ceremony didn't last long. Anakin and Padmé looked at the sunset without saying a word for a moment. Padmé had lived many important moments in her life. From the diplomas she received to her election as the queen of Naboo. However, nothing could compete with today's event. She was Anakin Skywalker's wife and no title was more precious to her.

"I can call you Padmé Skywalker now," Anakin teased.

Padmé looked at him with a smile. That would be her real name now, even if nobody would know it.

"You'll like it for a while and then you'll realize that Padmé Skywalker can have quite an unbearable behavior on her bad days," she said with a smirk.

"That's just a regular Skywalker's trait," he answered and smiled at her. "I'm sure I'll get used to it."

The Jedi Temple was full of the wisest people of the Galaxy. It was rare to witness agitation or stress in this place. Usually, everything here was calm and peaceful. Yet, today was an exception. Ahsoka was running so fast she didn't pay attention to the people around her. She even hustled younglings on her way and didn't notice it. She finally arrived to the meeting room where Yoda, Obi-Wan and Mace Windu were giving a briefing. Many Jedi were listening to them but she decided to interrupt anyway.

"Anakin… he… he has," she tried to speak but she was breathless.

"Breathe Ahsoka," Obi-Wan advised. "What is going on?"

She rested on the wall and breathed slowly before trying to talk again.

"Anakin contacted us. He is transmitting in the communication center, next to the Archives," she said with excitement.

Obi-Wan and Yoda looked at her with a discreet smile. Good news: finally.

"We're coming right now," Obi-Wan said.

"I'll handle the rest of the briefing," Mace offered.

Ahsoka lead the way, followed by Obi-Wan and Yoda. She was happy that her former Master contacted them again even she was still upset with him. She was now a Jedi Knight but it was still a recent promotion. She was used to be alone on missions but she didn't like to be avoided, especially not by Anakin.

They entered in the room and came face to face with Anakin who was projected by the holographic transmitter.

"Anakin! I'm glad to see you again," Obi-Wan said.

His voice was calm but he was truly happy to see that his old friend was all right. He never believed something bad had happened to him, but it was a relief to see him anyway.

"Where are you? What about Vice-Chancellor Amidala? What happened? Why did you take so long to contact us?" Ahsoka asked without bothering to take a breathe between each question.

"It's all right Snips," Anakin answered to calm her nerves. "Vice-Chancellor Amidala is safe."

"What happened?" Obi-Wan asked.

Anakin bit his lips discreetly and sighed. It was time for the first lie of his married life to Padmé. And this one was a big one. He had done many reckless things in his life, but he had to admit this time he maybe went a bit too far. If they believed him, then he probably was the Chosen One of the Force.

"I was with Vice-Chancellor Amidala during the ball in the Celebration Center of Galactic City. I noticed something strange was going on. There has been a kidnapping attempt against her. We avoided a disaster so I've decided to take her away from danger."

Anakin pronounced those words and tried to repress a smile. It was a terrible explanation and it didn't make any sense but he didn't have the choice. Now that he was in this situation he had to convince the Jedi of his "honesty".

"And who's responsible for that?" Obi-Wan asked skeptically.

"I couldn't catch her aggressors. My priority was to keep her safe."

"Young Skywalker, on Coruscant you didn't stay?" Yoda asked with the same skeptical tone.

"No, Master. Vice-Chancellor was in danger and I thought it would be better to keep her away. You probably remember my first assignment: I had to protect her and, in order to do that we went to Naboo. I thought it would be a good idea to do the same again."

It wasn't entirely a lie. Anakin had been in a similar situation years ago when he had had to protect Padmé. Of course, nobody tried to hurt her this time, but the situation was still dangerous. The war was over but Grievous was still alive and she had been newly elected Vice-Chancellor of the Republic. She was an easy target and taking her away for a moment could make sense after all.

"I see why you judged wise to take her away from Coruscant, but why didn't you contact us?" Ahsoka asked.

She had been silent so far. Her former Master's explanations were… strange. She knew him well and was almost sure he was lying.

"As I said, Vice-Chancellor Amidala and I ran away from Coruscant to avoid a dramatic ending to this situation. I didn't want anybody to know where we decided to go to ensure her safety," Anakin answered.

He looked at Ahsoka and even if he was parsecs away from her, he understood very well that she was upset with him. Her tone was cold and he could clearly see darkness in her eyes.

"Is Vice-Chancellor Amidala safe?" Obi-Wan asked asked.

"Yes, she's fine. She received a blow on the head but nothing serious at all," Anakin lied.

"So why didn't you come back to Coruscant? If she's hurt, she needs medical attention," Ahsoka replied.

Anakin looked at his former apprentice and sighed. She was suspecting something. It was true that his explanations were not perfect, but Obi-Wan and Yoda seemed fine with it. Why wasn't she?

"I did what seemed right to guarantee her safety," he replied angrily.

Anakin and Ahsoka argued vividly about the recent events and the way Anakin decided to handle the situation. It wasn't rare to see them fight. Yoda and Obi-Wan looked at each other and didn't try to hide a weary sigh. Those two would never change! They loved each other, but they both had a bad temper and it was the reason of many arguments.

"And you never thought that I would be worried?" Ahsoka yelled, losing patience.

Anakin didn't answer right away. It wasn't common to see him admitting a mistake, but he started to understand Ahsoka's point of view. She was more worried than she was angry. He had spent the last years taking care of her. Their relation was special and many Jedi agreed on the fact that he had raised her. In any case, they were closer than any other Jedi.

"What I've done doesn't matter. Vice-Chancellor Amidala is fine," Anakin said. "Don't thank me," he added ironically.

"Are you done now?" Obi-Wan asked wearily.

Anakin and Ahsoka both looked at him. They had been fighting for a while and had almost forgotten that they were not alone.

"Sorry, Master," Ahsoka said while squirming her leg in embarrassment.

"Master Skywalker, your location we need to know," Yoda said.

"We are in the system of Miriette. I'll send you the exact coordinates."

"Stay where you are. We will join you as soon as possible. Ahsoka will take care of Vice-Chancellor Amidala and bring her back to Coruscant. You and I will directly leave for our new mission," Obi-Wan said.

The transmission was over and the image of Anakin disappeared from the holographic transmitter. Ahsoka was still quizzical about the situation. She didn't buy any of Anakin's explanations. She knew him too well. Something was going on.

Yoda left the room to go back to the meeting they were having in the other room but Obi-Wan staid with her.

"You can't be so naïve," Ahsoka said mildly.

"What do you mean?" Obi-Wan asked, trying to feign ignorance.

"We both know he is lying. His explanations make no sense."

"Do you have any evidence of that?" Obi-Wan asked, still trying to look casual.

"I don't. But you have to admit it's weird."

"It is true. I don't know what Anakin has in his mind. I'm sure he had reasons to take Vice-Chancellor Amidala away," he answered.

Obi-Wan knew how Ahsoka felt. He had had this feeling countless times since he had known Anakin. His former apprentice was not a conventional Jedi. With time, Obi-Wan understood that there was only one way to deal with him.

"It happened to me many times and it will happen to you again, Ahsoka. Anakin will never be conventional. He has his own reasons but the real question is: how much do you want to know about it?" Obi-Wan asked.

Ahsoka didn't answer. She hadn't seen things like that. She was so focused on trying to know what Anakin was hiding that she forgot the main problem. If he had something to hide, maybe she just didn't want to care about it.

Padmé was lying on the couch in the living room, watching the Holonet on her holographic tablet. Anakin went closer and sat next to her. She had listened to his conversation with the Jedi and he was waiting for her comments.

"It didn't go so bad," Anakin said, his voice full of hope.

"You're kidding? You are a terrible liar," she answered with a smirk.

"Come on, it wasn't that bad."

Padmé smiled at him. She knew he did his best, but there was no good excuse to explain why a Jedi and a politician would disappear for days without leaving a message. For the first time in her life, Padmé didn't care about what people would think. They bought it, didn't ask for more details and for now, that was all that mattered to her.

"Your temper seem to have rubbed off on your apprentice," Padmé noted.

"First of all, Ahsoka is not my apprentice anymore," Anakin answered. "Then, I can assure you I have nothing to do with her behavior. They gave her to me like that," he added, laughing.

Padmé burst out laughing. She was happy that Anakin had had to take care of this young girl. She had changed him. He was more mature and Padmé was convinced that his apprentice had a great deal to do with his new maturity.

* * *

_A new chapter! See, it didn't take so long! _

_I wanted to say THANKS to all the people who post me reviews! This is the only reward we have when we write fan fictions and it really really makes me happy :) _


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Padmé woke up at the sound of the rain. A violent storm darkened Miriette. Lightning cracked across the sky as the rain intensified. Padmé had always enjoyed storms. When she was a child, she had spent hours looking through the window at the violent Nubian tempests, dreaming of crazy adventures.

Miriette's storms were violent, but Padmé found them wonderful. Facing the nature unleashed, the young woman had never felt more peace in her life. She moved to come closer to Anakin and looked at him tenderly. He was her husband now. She still couldn't believe they'd gotten married so quickly.

Padmé left the room on tiptoe and went into the living room. Anakin had brought a communication device in the house and she was grateful for that. As much as she loved him, she knew that the situation would arouse suspicion. She would need all of her persuasion skills to avoid trouble. Padmé turned the communication device on. Obi-Wan and Ahsoka immediately appeared.

"Vice Chancellor Amidala! I'm happy to see you are safe and sound," the Jedi Master said and smiled at her.

"Master Kenobi," she greeted with the same friendly tone. "I'm fine, there is no reason to worry."

"It seems that taking you away from Coruscant was a wise decision after all. We caught a group a bounty hunters trying to break into Chancellor Organa's apartments."

Padmé felt both relieved and sad at this announcement. It would make the fact that she ran away from the Galactic capital with a Jedi more believable, but at the same time knowing that one of her dearest friend was in danger was not a reason to rejoice.

"We suspect that General Grievous is behind this attempt against the Chancellor's life," Ahsoka said.

"It is possible," Padmé replied sadly. "I don't think their goal was to kill Chancellor Organa. If they could capture him, he would bring in a lot of Credits. The war ruined the Separatists. Do you know where Grievous is hiding now?"

"Not exactly. Our sources indicate that he has been seen recently in the Utapau System," Ahsoka answered.

"The Council is sending Anakin and I to investigate. Ahsoka will escort you back to Coruscant," Obi-Wan added.

Padmé nodded slowly. She tried not to make her apprehension noticeable. The politician knew that duty came first. Anakin and Obi-Wan were the best suited for this mission. The wife, however, couldn't help but to worry about the man she loved.

"Our ship is on the way to Miriette. We will be there before nightfall. Where do you stay exactly?" Obi-Wan asked.

"At your place," Padmé answered with a smile. "The gift you received is very useful."

"Anakin apparently told you about the effects my magnetic charm has on women," Obi-Wan laughed.

Anakin came out of the bedroom still sleepy, wearing only a light sleeve and his sleeping pants. He noticed that Padmé was on transmission with Obi-Wan and Ahsoka so he decided to join them.

Padmé looked at him with dark eyes. What would the Jedi think if they saw him dressed like that with her? They had to protect their secret and he was obviously not paying much attention. Obi-Wan and Ahsoka gave Anakin a surprised look but didn't make any comment.

"Anakin! We are on our way to Miriette. We will be there tonight. You and I are leaving directly to Utapau for our next mission," Obi-Wan declared.

"I'm extremely excited," Anakin answered sarcastically. "And what kind of humanitarian mission are we going there for?"

"General Grievous' capture," Obi-Wan answered with a smirk.

He knew perfectly that it would arouse Anakin's interest. The young man's eyes were sparkling, showing a light that could only be revealed in him by an exciting mission. Anakin loved being a Jedi. It was the most important part of who he was and Padmé would never forgive herself if he lost it because of her. She looked at him with both amazement and fear. It was wonderful that something could fulfill him so completely, but the mission would be dangerous and she knew how he handled danger.

Padmé turned the device off and went outside. She sat at the table on the terrace and looked at the mountains surrounding the lake. The sun was slowly rising and the view was breathtaking.

"So this is our last day," she said sadly.

"This mission won't take long. Now that the war is over, my absences will be shorter."

"Please be careful anyway," she replied with concern.

Anakin found her anxiety touching. He could feel how much she loved him and that made him happier than he could express. Having someone who worried about him, besides Ahsoka and Obi-Wan, was enjoyable.

"Don't worry. I'll always come back for you," he whispered and kissed her.

Padmé looked at him with a smile and held him tight against her. His promise was wonderful, but she knew it would not only be up ton him to hold it. She married him and knew that from now on she would never stop to worry about him.

"Next time you want to participate to an official transmission with the Jedi, please dress completely before you decide to join," Padmé said with a smirk.

Padmé's tone showed clearly that she wasn't angry, but that she wasn't particularly enchanted by his behavior either. She raised an eyebrow and looked at Anakin with a smile.

"I asked you to be discreet in public and you show up half naked!" she said and laughed.

"Well, your definition of half naked is certainly not the same as mine. But we can arrange that if you want," he added with a smirk.

"Stop teasing me and just do what I ask."

"That sounds very much like a dictatorship to me," he teased again.

Padmé remembered those words. She had said that a very long time ago about another topic. She understood that, once again, Anakin was trying to make fun of her. He wasn't taking the discussion very seriously, so she decided to do the same. Padmé was not one to miss an occasion to tease him neither.

"So? If it works?" she replied with the same answer he gave her years ago.

Anakin burst out laughing. Those were good memories, even if they had been apart for a long time. They had both changed since this discussion and his perspective on politics was not the same anymore. Especially since the revelation of Chancellor Palpatine true identity.

However, Anakin decided it wasn't time to think about that. He shook his head lightly and looked at his wife with a smile. Padmé was so different when she was with him. She had nothing to do with the famous politician the Galaxy knew. In these moments, she could simply be herself.

"Don't look at me like that. I'd be much too frightened to tease a Jedi Master," she said, deciding to continue making fun of him.

"Enough now," he answered and pulled her against him to kiss her.

The sound of the roaring engines on the Jedi transport that was about to land on Miriette was not matching the quietness and the peace of the place. They had the effect of a painful reminder for Anakin and Padmé: their moments alone were over and it was time to go back to their normal life.

The ship's ramp went down and the door opened with a loud clank. Obi-Wan and Ahsoka went out side by side.

"Master Kenobi," Padmé greeted. "I hope you had a good trip."

"Vice-Chancellor," he answered with the same respect and bowed. "I'm afraid the situation is more complicated than we expected."

"What do you mean?" Padmé asked, worried.

"We received confirmation of Grievous presence on Utapau. It seems that the Separatists leaders have also been located there. Some of them still strongly reject the end of the war and the possibility of joining the Republic," Obi-Wan explained.

"That's catastrophic!" Padmé exclaimed. "Did the Senate send a diplomat to accompany you on this mission?"

"I'm afraid this won't be possible. We are going there to arrest General Grievous, news of the Separatists leaders' presence only came after we left Coruscant," Ahsoka said.

"What are you going to do with them?" Padmé asked, her voice full of concern.

"They will be arrested and judged for their crimes," Ahsoka answered firmly.

"Some of them are innocent," Padmé argued, shocked by the news. "The lack of attention to peoples' needs and opinions was the reason of the war. If we continue on this path, we will never be able to end the conflicts!"

Anakin shook his head in disagreement. He knew Padmé too well and understood exactly where she was going with this.

"I wish to accompany you on this mission," she said firmly. "As a member of the Senate, I can help and find a peaceable solution for those who want to collaborate. If we listen to the Separatists' complains, we will certainly be able to make a compromise. We could even rally some of them to the Republic! If they feel attacked, we will never be able to gain their trust."

"Absolutely out of question," Anakin cut coldly. "Ahsoka is here to bring you back to Coruscant and that's what she is going to do."

"Really?" Padmé asked sarcastically. "Chancellor Organa has decided that Jedi and politicians should collaborate more from now on. It is a good occasion to start. I am sure he will support this mission."

"Maybe, but I don't think it's a good idea. It is not a peaceful mission. It will be dangerous for you," Anakin said, trying to hide his concern.

"Finding diplomatic solutions to conflicts is my duty and also my goal as Vice Chancellor of the Republic. I never pretended it would always be safe."

Anakin eyes were dark. He disapproved completely. Padmé looked at him and shivered a bit. His gaze could be intimidating. It expressed a great anger. Another woman would have backed up in this situation. Padmé couldn't afford this luxury. She knew that they would disagree on many things during their married life and she couldn't do whatever he wanted just because she was afraid of his reactions.

"Do I have to remind you that the last time you told me you would resolve a conflict with diplomacy, we ended up chained in an arena, sentenced to death?" he asked, obviously irritated by the situation.

"We got out of it well," she answered simply.

"Yeah, I lost one arm in the process but I guess that's just a small detail," he retorted.

"That was not my fault!" Padmé defended herself.

Ahsoka and Obi-Wan looked at them fighting. They had never witnessed such an exchange. However, the scene unfolding before them was somehow humorous.

"You two really look like an old married couple," Ahsoka sighed.

"WHAT?" Anakin and Padmé both exclaimed.

They were speechless. Ahsoka probably didn't realized how much her comment affected them. They had to keep their secret, but they were obviously not doing a good job so far. Fighting in public was evidence that they cared a lot about each other.

Obi-Wan was looking into the vastness of the Galaxy. Ahsoka was by his side, twisting her hands nervously, staring into the void. Anakin and Padmé were in the transmission room of the ship to establish a connection with Chancellor Organa's office on Coruscant.

"You seem very pensive," Obi-Wan commented.

"This is a very important mission. I'm a bit anxious, I guess," she answered distractingly.

"There is nothing else?"

Obi-Wan didn't need Jedi powers to understand that she was bothered. He knew perfectly that her relationship with her former master was the reason of her current state of mind. Ahsoka also knew that she was showing her emotions, even if she wasn't proud of it. Not being able to share her thoughts easily was probably something she had developed during the time she had spent with Anakin. She had grown up with him and, on many ways, her personality and his were similar.

"When Anakin disappeared, I felt lost," she sighed.

"What do you mean lost? You did an amazing job with the Chancellor. He holds you in high esteem."

"I know. But it was the first time I found myself truly alone. He had always been there for me somehow. Even when we were sent on different missions, I knew I could always count on him. This time it was different."

The silence that followed this declaration was painful for the young Jedi knight. Obi-Wan understood her feelings all too well. He had felt the same way when her master Qui-Gon Jinn died. Being entirely alone for the first time was never easy.

"I'm a Jedi Knight, I shouldn't hold to this link that binds us. I should worth better than that."

"You are too harsh with yourself. Being a Knight is not an end. You still have much to learn and if you need Anakin to guide you, don't consider it a weakness," Obi-Wan explained.

Ahsoka didn't answer. Somehow, she knew he was right but admitting her faults had never been a domain she excelled in. However, the connection she shared with Anakin was precious to her and she felt that something was different. There was peace in him and she had never seen him like this before. That change coincided by chance with the moment a certain Senator came back into his life. With that thought, Ahsoka could not repress a smirk. She was convinced of Anakin's feelings. He was trying to hide them but he was not making a very good attempt at it.

It hadn't take long for Padmé to convince the Jedi to take her with them on this mission. Obi-Wan was even happy to have her on board. He was known across the Galaxy as "the Negotiator" but having a politician on their side would be helpful. Padmé was sitting in front of a transmission device. She was waiting for Chancellor Organa's transmission. His opinion was on the subject was valuable and she wanted to have advice.

Anakin was sitting at another table. He was making little metallic coins fly around his fingers with the help of the Force. The young Jedi was not angry, just very worried. The idea of spending more time with Padmé was enjoyable, but it would have been much better in other circumstances.

The signal indicating an incoming transmission made him come out of his thoughts. Padmé accepted the call and Chancellor Organa appeared at the centre of the device.

"Padmé, I'm relieved to see you are safe. We were expecting the worst."

"Thanks to Master Skywalker, I was in no danger," she reassured him.

"Your decision to take part into the mission on Utapau worries me more," he said anxiously.

"Showing collaboration between the Jedi and the Senate will reassure the people. I want them to know we will be doing what's best from now on. If we can find a diplomatic solution and stop General Grievous at the same time, it will confirm that your election means change and a return to pacifism."

Bail Organa looked at Padmé with great pride. He had not chosen her randomly. She had nerves and was not afraid to fight for her convictions. Her idea was audacious but she was right: the Republic needed to be trusted again.

"You have my blessing," he said without hiding his profound respect for her.

Anakin was only half listening to their conversation. He had never been a big fan of politics and was not willing to argue with his wife about her choices. Now that her decision was made, he would do anything to protect her.

The young Jedi didn't even notice that the transmission was over. Padmé came closer and sat next to him. She placed a light kiss on his cheek and held him. The silence was heavy but Padmé decided to break it.

"We do really behave like an old married couple but yet we have only been married for a few days," she said and smiled.

This comment made Anakin smile but was not enough to make him recover his good mood.

"You are mad at me," Padmé said sadly.

It was halfway between a question and a statement. Anakin looked at his love with a light smile. He had always believed that couple disputes didn't concern him, that if he were lucky enough to be with Padmé, nothing would come between them. He had been wrong. He realized at that moment that these disagreements did not mean in any way that their feelings were not powerful. Rather, they showed their passion knew no bounds and that the danger was difficult to manage.

"I am not mad. This is new for me. I don't know how to handle all the dangers that surround you," he explained.

"You simply need to trust me," she said with hope.

"I already do," he sighed. "Padmé…"

Anakin stopped talking for a second and thought about what he wanted to say. All his mixed feelings were playing with his mind.

"I could not bear to lose you," he said, his eyes full of fear. "I've waited my entire life to be with you and now that I know you love me back, I can't let you get away."

This declaration made Padmé shiver. His devotion was so complete and his love so absolute that it was almost frightening. It was wonderful but such powerful feelings were also scary. And yet, Padmé had to admit she felt the same way about him.

"You won't lose me, I promise," she reassured lightly.

Padmé took Anakin's mechanical hand in hers and looked at him.

"I am also terrified to lose you. I felt this fear during the entire war. Why do you think I spent nights in front of the Holonet? I was waiting for news, any news that would indicate me you were safe. It is human to be scared for the people we love," she explained.

Anakin nodded slowly. In theory, he agreed completely. However, in this situation, everything seemed more complicated. Stifling his fears and trusting fate had never been his strongest asset.

"And don't forget. We are not just anybody," she said with a smirk.

Anakin looked at her and raised an eyebrow. He didn't know where she was going with this declaration.

"We are Skywalkers, therefore we are invincible," she clarified.

Anakin laughed at her comment. Padmé always found a way to restore his good mood. He closed his eyes and shook his head lightly.

"You've only been one for a few days. Skywalkers' temerity takes some practice."

"So I count on you to teach me," she said in a seductive tone before kissing him.

Padmé was as unpredictable and stubborn as him. She shrank from nothing and when she had an idea, it was almost impossible to make her change her mind. Now that she was a Skywalker, as she had so proudly declared, things were not going to get better. If she kept being so reckless, the future would not be easy.

"May the Force be with me," Anakin sighed. "I will need it more than ever," he added with a smirk.

* * *

_Hey! Thanks to all the people who review! It's great to know the story is appreciated :) Some of you even review in French: you are so so so nice! It really makes me happy each time I read your comments. And for my 81 followers who don't review... well, I hope you're enjoying what you are reading, even if you are doing it in silence ;) _

_I would like to thank my beta reader becky! You are GREAT, I could never publish in English if you weren't there to help me. _

_See you soon for chapter 9. _


	9. Chapter 9

** Chapter 9 **

The ship sent by the Republic landed on Utapau after a long journey across the Galaxy. Anakin and Obi-Wan exited through the door, shortly followed by Padmé and Ahsoka. The young Jedi was initially supposed to bring the politician back to Coruscant. Her mission had slightly changed. She was now responsible to ensure her safety while Obi-Wan and Anakin arrested General Grievous.

A small group of Pau'ans came to meet the Jedi. They were humanoid aliens native from the planet. One of them separated from the group and approached Obi-Wan. He appeared to be the governor of the city.

"Greetings, young Jedi. What brings you to our remote sanctuary?" the alien asked.

"Unfortunately, the war," Obi-Wan answered. "We are looking for General Grievous and we fear that he is hiding on your planet."

Obi-Wan's voice was calm. Anakin always allowed him to speak first when it came to introduction. The young Jedi lacked patience for this kind of things. In addition, his former Master had not received the nickname "Negotiator" for no reason. The Pau'an governor approached the Jedi's delegation and whispered not to be heard.

"He is here. We are being held hostage. They are watching us," the governor whispered.

"Great…" Anakin sighed.

"The tenth level. There are thousands of Battle Droids," the alien added.

"Tell your people to take shelter. If you have warriors, now is the time," Obi-Wan replied discreetly. "Thanks for your hospitality, we will not bother you any longer," the Master added with a louder voice.

Obi-Wan turned his back and made his way back to the ship, followed by his friends.

"So what do we do?" Anakin asked.

"The element of surprise will be in our favor if Grievous believe we are gone. As for you, Vice-Chancellor, do not leave Ashoka. We will separate the General and the Separatist leaders' delegation. Once this is done, engage negotiations with them and leave the planet as soon as your mission completed."

Padmé nodded. She was determined but not reckless. This plan seemed fine. She could feel that her husband was worried though. She looked at him and gave her a sympathetic look. She didn't want to worry him and felt a little guilty about it. She really hoped that, with time, he would learn to trust her.

Obi-Wan made the ship take off without them on board. They stayed on Utapau, hidden in the shadow of the landing platform.

"I sent a message to the ship that accompanied us. Clones will be sent to help us soon. Ahsoka, I want you to be very careful. Watch over Vice Chancellor Amidala. Stay hidden as long as General Grievous is not apart from the Separatists' group. Don't try anything reckless," Obi-Wan warned.

"That's not my style," Ahsoka answered with a smirk.

"Hurry up Anakin, we must not lose time," Obi-Wan said while heading towards a long corridor leading to the upper floors of the city.

Anakin gave one last worried glance to his wife before leaving. He wanted to hug her, but the situation forbade him to do that. To avoid this lack of affection, he used the Force to caress Padmé's hand. The young woman felt it, but tried to control her reaction. She didn't want Ahsoka to be more suspicious. It was just a pressure from the Force on her hand but, for her, this contact was precious. Anakin could not touch her, but she knew he desperately wanted to. He probably would have given anything to hug her one last time before leaving. She knew that their relationship had to be kept secret ... those little attentions were therefore more valuable. Invisible or minuscule, the slightest sign of affection was worth more than all the credits of the galaxy.

Obi-Wan and Anakin walked silently through the city. They were hidden in the roof structure when they finally arrived to the main hangar. Both leaned to watch the scene unfolding on the lower floor. General Grievous led the debate. The Separatist leaders were seated at a semicircle table.

"Patience. There are hundreds of Droids watching this reunion," Obi-Wan said, seeing that his friend wanted to jump directly into action.

"Nothing particularly alarming," Anakin said with a shrug.

"You take care of the Droids on the right while I take care of the others. We will defeat them quickly and block the two possible exits. Grievous will have no choice but to confront us," Obi-Wan said, ignoring Anakin's comment.

"That will do," Anakin approved.

He silently walked to the other extremity of the roof structure. Obi-Wan looked at him and smiled. His former apprentice would never change. His vivacity sometimes hid recklessness.

The two Jedi coordinated and jumped from their hiding place at the same time. They ignited their lightsaber before their feet touched the ground. All the Droids who crossed their blade were destroyed. It only took them a few seconds to annihilate all of them.

"General Kenobi. And General Skywalker! The Republic must fear me to send its two most famous Jedi," Grievous said.

Anakin could not wait to be done with this mission. The death of General Grievous meant nothing less than the end of the war. The young Jedi approached his opponent, slowly twirling his light saber in his right hand.

"Our last battle didn't impress me," the General said with a defiant tone. "If that's all the celebrities of the Republic can offer, I have nothing to worry about."

The General grabbed his lightsabers and stretched his long arms. Each split into two, forming pairs of deathly weapons.

"Four lightsabers?" Anakin exclaimed. "If this is what you need to confront us, all right."

"Why do you always have to irritate him?" Obi-Wan asked while shaking his head slowly in amused annoyance.

Anakin smiled at his former Master's comment. Grievous approached and began to fight them. Obi-Wan was dealing with the General's right side while Anakin took his left side. The battle was fast and intense. The four light sabers that Grievous used gave him an advantage. It was difficult to surprise him.

Anakin jumped on the table to attack Grievous from a different angle. Thanks to this strategy, he was able to cut on of the Droid's arm. Now, he only had to prevent attacks from a single light saber.

"You're slow, Obi-Wan!" Anakin joked.

The two of them had the habit of maintaining a constant competition. They never stopped comparing their results on battlefields and counted all their victories. It used to be more Anakin's thing, but Obi-Wan quickly joined him as he found it entertaining. He was not an arrogant person and had never been one to bark about his exploits, but he could not resist the desire to maintain a friendly rivalry with his former apprentice.

Obi-Wan took advantage of a moment of distraction to surprise Grievous. He raised his hand and used the Force to send Grievous against the ceiling. The Droid crashed loudly against the floor. He recovered quickly and noticed with annoyance that he had lost one of his light sabers. He was now on possession of only two weapons.

"Slow, you said?" Obi-Wan asked his friend with a smirk.

Anakin ran back to the right side of his opponent and the fight continued. The attacks of the two Jedi became more violent. The battle led Grievous to a landing platform adjacent to the meeting room.

"Surrender Grievous, it's over now," Anakin warned while pointing his light saber to him. "You won't escape this time."

"Unbearable young pretentious!" Grievous shouted. "I won't be defeated by a kid!"

Obi-Wan took advantage of the General's anger and the attention he gave to Anakin to attack him again. With a quick gesture, Grievous made Obi-Wan fly to the other end of the platform. The Jedi Master's lightsaber escaped him and rolled away to go crashing into the fund craters. Obi-Wan stood up somehow and looked around in search of a means of defense. Suddenly, he found a familiar weapon on the floor: one of Grievous' lightsaber!

Obi-Wan took the weapon and ran to his opponent. He severed the two left arms of the Droid. That side was now completely vulnerable! It gave access to the cyborg greatest weakness: the centre of his skeleton, in which were the remains of his heart. The General suddenly started to shake violently. He crashed to the floor.

Anakin turned off his lightsaber and looked at his friend with satisfaction. After all these years spent tracking this monstrous criminal, it was finally over.

"One good thing done!" Obi-Wan rejoiced.

Anakin observed his former Master's contentment and laughed. They were very different people, but some aspects of their personality were similar, like their sense of humor.

"I still have to point out to you that you have lost your lightsaber," Anakin said.

" Indeed," Obi-Wan replied with a nonchalant tone.

"I remember, however, that this issue has been the cause of numerous reprimands during my apprenticeship," he added, raising an eyebrow.

"It is true that the lightsaber is a Jedi's most valuable possession. You will notice, however, that in the heat of action, I still managed to get another one and put an end to the days of General Grievous," he replied provocatively.

Anakin shook his head and sighed. His former Master would always find a way to justify his actions. He always twisted the Jedi Code like it most suited him and his two-way tirades were legendary.

Anakin and Obi-Wan made their way back to the hangar. They wanted to make sure that Padmé and Ahsoka were all right. When they approached the hangar's exit, they were surprised by a complete squad of Droids.

"Not again!" Anakin exclaimed.

"Grievous must have called them before our fight," Obi-Wan said while stepping back.

The two Jedi stepped back, looking for another exit, but they found no way to escape the Droids. They could fight them, but there were hundreds of them and it would have been a useless risk to engage battle with so many opponents.

"At least we are safe now that Grievous is no more," Anakin said, lessening the gravity of the situation.

"We already talked about it… your definition of the safe is definitely not the same as mine!"

"They won't execute us unless someone gives them the order to do it," Anakin defended his point of view. "Where are our troops? Didn't you ask a squad of clones to assist us?"

"I sent a message to Cody when we landed."

"And… where is he?" Anakin asked.

"I don't know! I gave him the order to join us immediately."

"This is clearly a success," Anakin commented sarcastically.

Obi-Wan sighed. Sometimes, he felt like the roles had been reversed: Anakin lecturing him, the former apprentice reprimanding the Master. The two Jedi decided to surrender. The Droids would soon be deactivated anyway.

Ahsoka and Padmé rushed through the city of Utapau. They ran to the main hangar where the Separatist leaders were reunited. The Vice Chancellor really hoped that her intervention would allow innocent people to avoid reprisals. Moreover, even if they didn't change their mind, it seemed more correct to arrest them having left the choice and having sought common ground. Padmé knew that, in the facts, her mission would make a little difference, if no difference at all. It was important to her though. If she didn't try to act differently than Palpatine's government, her election would make no good to the Republic.

During the war, the Separatists had symbolized evil to the eyes of the people. This vision was quite simplistic. Some of them were notorious criminals, such as Nute Gunray. Arresting those people was inevitable. On the other hand, others, like her old friend Mina Bonteri, were innocent who were only blamed for having a different point of view. Padmé's dear friend died during the war, but it didn't stop her to believe that some Separatists were good people.

"How do you want to proceed?" Ahsoka asked.

The leaders were in a heated discussion. This was a good time to approach them. Padmé and her Jedi protector were placed against the wall of the hallway and watched the scene.

"It's now or never," Padmé said with determination.

They both came out of hiding to face the group. Padmé seemed serene, but Ashoka kept her hand on her lightsaber, ready to unsheathe it at any time.

"It's a trap!" Nute Gunray warned. "Arrest them, now!"

A dozen droids went to the two young women. They pointed their blasters at them to prevent them from approaching.

" Are you always so warmly welcomed?" Ahsoka whispered.

"Most of the time… yes," Padmé sighed.

The Droids quickly circled them. The Separatists faced them, their face cold and unkind. Padmé breathed slowly to regain her calm. Her composed temper was legendary. She would need all her experience in politics if she did not want this mission to be a disaster.

"Look," Ahsoka's gaze indicated the other end of the hangar.

The clones Obi-Wan had called when they landed on the planet were all here. Cody was leaning against the wall, ready to give orders to his troops to intervene if things went wrong.

* * *

Sorry... it took quite long to update! My beta reader had Internet and computer issues. But she is still my **superstar**! Thanks for helping me.

Et mes chéris... reviews? Merci! :)


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

"This is not a trap. We came to negotiate peace," Padmé said.

The Vice Chancellor's voice was calm and she seemed confident. Ahsoka really admired her. The situation was not comfortable at all.

"Liar!" Viceroy Gunray said. "The Republic had proved its inability to negotiate peace countless times. Why would it be different now? Your intentions are not honorable."

"Chancellor Palpatine was a traitor. He manipulated all of us. We are victims and so are you," Padmé defended her cause.

"He was the leader of both camp, you know that now!" Ahsoka got carried away.

Padmé glanced at Ahsoka with disapproval. She didn't want to show anger nor impatience. Should not feel threatened.

"The Chancellor was indeed a traitor," Gunray conceded. "It doesn't bring the Republic back into my good graces."

"And I can understand that. I came here on behalf of our new Chancellor, Bail Organa. He wants to change the Republic, to make it a better place for all of us. The conflicts are over. It is time to put an end to ours. Under those circumstances, we want to give your alliance a chance to speak. We want to find a peaceful solution to our disagreements."

Padmé's speech left the opposite camp silent for an instant. The silence was heavy. The droids were still holding their blasters and pointing them at Ahsoka and Padmé. Clones were hidden at the other end of the hangar. The situation was tenser than ever.

"We are not interested," San Hill said, his voice proud and arrogant.

"This war never made any sense. It was only the result of a man's cupidity. We have no reason to go on with this madness," Padmé tried one last argument, but she knew now that they would not change their mind.

Nut Gunray looked at the other Separatists leaders one by one. They didn't need to talk: he knew they all agreed.

"Eliminate them," the politician said to the droids.

Dozens of thin metallic arms all moved at the same time. They were all ready to shoot. Ahsoka instantly ignited her light saber and positioned herself in front of the Vice Chancellor to protect her. Padmé took her blaster in both hand and got ready to defend herself.

It only took a second for the clones to react. They strategically ran to all ends of the hangar and circled Ahsoka and Padmé. Shock could be seen of all Separatists leaders' face. They were not excepting an attack like this one on Utapau.

"What do we do now?" Ahsoka asked while twirling her light saber.

"We have to annihilate their protection. If Anakin and Obi-Wan finally got Grievous into pieces, and we have to hope they did, we will only have to arrest the Separatist leaders. This conflict will soon be over," Padmé answered while shooting at Droids.

"Not really diplomatic, if you want my opinion," Ahsoka smirked.

"Do you really want to discuss ethic and politic now?" Padmé asked.

Clones now occupied all exits. There was no way to escape the building. Ahsoka jumped on a droid and sliced its arms. She finished by cutting its head. Then, she looked around her and was satisfied to notice that this droid was the last one. The area was now secured.

"Take them to the ship," Padmé ordered to a clone. "I want your troop to bring them back to Coruscant as soon as possible. They have to be treated well. Contact Chancellor Organa. He needs to organize their trial."

"At your service," the clone politely answered.

Ahsoka looked at Padmé with great curiosity. She had never pretended she knew politics but, today, she felt more lost than ever. Vice Chancellor Amidala had asked to participate to this mission to find a diplomatic solution to the conflict. However, what just happened was not pacific at all.

"Are you all right, Ahsoka?" Padmé asked with concern.

"I am a little disappointed, that's all," shed said sadly. "You hoped you would find a peaceful solution but we didn't do a really good job."

"Is that really what you think?" she asked kindly.

Padmé and Ahsoka walked to the other end of the hangar. They sad on empty munitions boxes to discuss. Clones were running everywhere to secure the area and organize the criminals' transport.

"The outcome of this mission matters less to me than the way we decided to handle it," Padmé explained.

"What do you mean"? Ahsoka asked, surprised.

"I am not naïve. I was not expecting Viceroy Gunray to change his mind in one day. He has never listened to me; I don't see why he would have stated today. However, if we had come here without trying to negotiate, how would we be different from Palpatine's government?"

"I never thought about it like that," the young Jedi answered with admiration.

"And yet it is crucial. The Jedi and the Senate will have a lot to do to bring back order and justice in the Republic. What matters now is that we don't do the same mistakes again. We have to listen to the people who disagree with us. It is not possible to impose our decisions."

Ahsoka was surprised but interested by the Vice Chancellor explanations. Since the end of the war, she had thought a lot about the meaning of the war. Padmé was a good advisor. Her vision of the future was comforting.

"Master Skywalker has always told me that the government was corrupted and that nothing could be done to change it," Ahsoka said with a smile.

Now that she thought about their discussions, the young Jedi realized how much her former Master's opinion was pessimistic.

"Anakin and I don't have the same opinion," Padmé answered kindly. "But I understand why he feels this way," she added sadly.

Ahsoka felt again this strange emotion, the same she had detected on Miriette. This famous and powerful politician appeared to smile when mentioning one particular Jedi.

"He admires you more than any other politician," Ahsoka said.

"I hope he does," Padmé said, trying to control her voice.

She was worried. The Separatists had been arrested but Anakin and Obi-Wan were still nowhere to be found. Where were they? Padmé had asked Anakin to be careful but she knew that this notion was extremely subjective in her young husband's mind.

"Milady. We have located General Grievous on platform number five. He is dead and won't be a problem anymore," the clone said proudly.

"Where are Anakin and Obi-Wan?" Ahsoka stood and asked.

"We haven't located them yet," he answered, looking slightly embarrassed.

"Then keep looking. We won't leave this planet without them," Padmé said firmly.

The clone left and joined his troop to keep looking for the two missing Jedi. Padmé closed her eyes for a second and breathed slowly. Losing her composure in front of Anakin's former apprentice was not an option. She had to calm down.

Yet, she could help herself but to think: what if something terrible had happened? She was not sure she could take it. They had just gotten married. She could simply not imagine life without him now.

"Don't worry, I'm sure they're all right," Ahsoka said with a smirk.

"I am not worried, " Padmé defended herself.

Ahsoka ignored her answer. She couldn't deny that she was concerned more than what she should be. The young Jedi started to understand the feeling she had detected. During all the years she spent with her Master, they had travelled all around the Galaxy and met many people. Anakin had always been quite popular with women. Ahsoka had observed him being seduced by hundreds of them for a very long time. Despite that, he had never shown any interest.

When hearing the name of Anakin, Padmé smiled. It was simple and innocent, but it was there. This look was different from all the ones Ahsoka had noticed all around the Galaxy. And for the first time, Ahsoka noticed something even more surprising. Anakin had the _same_ look. She had never seen him interested before.

"I simply hope they are not in any kind of trouble," Padmé added.

"Anakin and Obi-Wan always get into some kind of trouble," Ahsoka answered with a smirk.

The two Jedi had been locked in a cell at the other end of the building. The mission to kill Grievous was a success but they would still have to wait for their troops to find them. They were attached to the wall by magnetic strips.

"I still want to point out that none of this would have happened if you had called Rex instead of Cody," Anakin said with annoyance.

"Ho really?" Obi-Wan got carried away. "I think we already had that discussion. Twice!"

"And what got out of it exactly?"

"Cody did an excellent job. I don't know what Rex could have done more in this situation."

"Well… let's see. To begin with, he would have probably come," Anakin answered with irony.

Obi-Wan sighed and closed his eyes. He was tired and the only thing he wanted right now was to go back to the temple and stop listening to Anakin. They fought all the time about Rex, Cody and R2D2 wires defaults. Anakin was particularly stubborn about some topics.

"Cody is simply occupied somewhere else, end of the discussion," Obi-Wan concluded firmly.

"And what is he doing exactly?"

Obi-Wan didn't get time to answer the question. The door opened. Padmé, Ahsoka and a few clones got in. The two ladies looked at Anakin and Obi-Wan with amusement. The young Jedi sighed and approached her former Master.

"The war is over. General Grievous is dead. _How_ did you two end up tied against the wall?"

"Untie us, Ahsoka," Anakin asked and sighed.

She walked towards the other end of the cell and looked at the control panel. It didn't take long for her to figure out how to use it. In a second, they were free.

"So this is the result of aggressive negotiation, I suppose," Padmé teased.

Anakin closed his eyes to try to hide his annoyance. His ego was legendary. He admitted it. But still, being tied up to a wall in front of Padmé, who he had married only a few days ago, was not exactly the best position in which he could hope to be seen.

Anakin reopened his eyes and looked at Padmé with a mix of amusement and embarrassment. He could deny the situation was somehow funny.

"What happened," Padmé asked, not trying to hide her smile.

"Nothing," Anakin answered.

"The hazards of the job I guess," Obi-Wan replied with more serenity. "However, I am very pleased to see that Cody received my message and came to support our mission, as I asked him," he added, pointing at the clones near the entrance.

"What is he talking about?" Ahsoka asked, intrigued.

"He is talking about nothing," Anakin answered firmly. "Are we done now?" he added, impatient.

"Our ship is ready to take off," she answered.

Obi-Wan and Ahsoka walked toward the platform. Anakin and Padmé followed them a few meters away. They wanted to talk but they preferred to keep their discussion private. They knew that the next hours would leave them little privacy and the young woman wanted at all costs to talk to Anakin in private before reaching the capital.

"I was so worried! Are you all right?" she asked, suddenly more serious.

"I'm fine. I'm used to those kind of situations," he said.

"So being tied up to a wall has become a habit?" she teased.

"I wish I could say no. But… yeah. It happens quite a lot," he said with a smirk.

Padmé discreetly took Anakin's hand into hers. She looked at his light saber and smiled.

"Yes, I know. I will give it back to you when we will be on Coruscant. I will have to build a new one."

"You gave it to me, it's mine now," she said with a smile.

She let go of his hand and they walked into the ship.

"Before we join everyone, I would like to make sure about something," she said, thoughtful.

"What is going on?"

"I know it won't be easy. We will have to hide and don't even know how we will handle it. But you will come and see me before being sent on a mission again?

Anakin couldn't help but to laugh lightly. He understood his wife's worries. However, the thought that anything could keep him away from her was ridiculous. It didn't matter if the Jedi ended up suspecting something. He would always find a way to come back to her.

"Nothing in this Galaxy has the power to keep me away from you very long," he said gently. "I will visit as often as possible. Truth is, you'll end up being sick of me. You won't stand me being in your apartment all the time," he joked.

Padmé smiled and sighed. She felt guilty to ask him so much. She had never wanted to stand between him and his Jedi life. Her feelings were now simply too powerful and she couldn't help it anymore. The had spent years away from each other and it hadn't worked well for neither of them.

"I will have to give you the codes for our apartment," she said. "I don't want you to be arrested when you come home."

"Padmé… I programmed your security. Don't worry about that, I know all your codes," he answered with a smirk.

He had replied with the charming smile she had fell in love with so many years ago.

* * *

_Hey! Sorry... it took a million years to have the next chapter. I swear, I will finish translating this story in English! And ... hum... you probably notice, I don't have a beta reader anymore. :'( Sorry for all the mistakes in this chapter. It is very difficult for me to do better than that on my own. _

_I tried to send an e-mail to my beta reader, but the e-mail address is not valid anymore. So if anyone is willing to help me, let me know! ;)_


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